TOBACCO IS THE SECOND MAJOR CAUSE OF DEATH IN THE WORLD

ArmRadio.am
31.05.2007 15:57

Today, on the World No Tobacco Day, the World Health Organization
and the Ministry of Health held a press conference under the slogan
"Smoke-free inside."

The press conference aimed to draw public’s attention to the tobacco
use related problems, to present the main WHO related messages of the
Day, and to raise awareness on the lethal health and economic costs
linked to second-hand smokers.

UN Resident Coordinator Ms. Consuelo Vidal in her opening remarks
mentioned: "There is no doubt: breathing second-hand tobacco smoke
(SHS) is very dangerous to our health. It causes cancer, as well as
many serious respiratory and cardiovascular diseases in children and
adults, often leading to premature death. There is no safe level of
human exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke, and only 100% smoke-free
environments can adequately protect from dangers of second-hand smoke."

Amongst the event participants were representatives of the local
and international NGOs, which were most active in tobacco control
campaigns, representatives of the municipality of Yerevan and various
health professional organizations. Certificates of the Ministry of
Health were granted to acknowledge their contribution to the tobacco
control in Armenia this year.

Tobacco is the second major cause of death in the world. Every year it
kills more than accidents, suicides, murders, AIDS and use of illegal
drugs all together. It is well known that half the people who smoke
regularly today – about 650 million people – will eventually be killed
by tobacco. Equally alarming is the fact that hundreds of thousands
of people who have never smoked die each year from diseases caused
by breathing second-hand tobacco smoke.

Second-hand smoking causes cancer, as well as many serious respiratory
and cardiovascular diseases in children and adults, often leading to
premature death.

The evidence is clear: there is no safe level of exposure to
second-hand tobacco smoke. Hence the World Health Organization (WHO)
signaled the urgent need for countries to make all indoor public
places and workplaces 100% smoke-free with the release of its new
policy recommendations on protection from exposure to second-hand
tobacco smoke in advance of World No Tobacco Day, which focuses this
year on this theme.