World No Tobacco Day being observed today

ISLAMABAD (92 News) – World No Tobacco Day, is being observed today (Wednesday), to highlight the negative impacts of tobacco use on human health and suggest steps for its prevention.

This year's theme for the day is "Tobacco – a threat to development." The theme will demonstrate the threats that the tobacco industry poses to the sustainable development of all countries, including the health and economic well-being of their citizens.

According to a survey, around 31 percent males and 5.8 percent females smoke, while tobacco use kills around 108,000 people each year in Pakistan.

On the occasion, World Health Organization has called on governments to implement strong tobacco control measures.

Smoking and other tobacco use kills more than seven million people each year, the World Health Organization said yesterday, also warning of the dire environmental impact of tobacco production, distribution and waste.

The UN agency said tougher measures were needed to rein in tobacco use, urging countries to ban smoking in the workplace and indoor public spaces, outlaw marketing of tobacco products and hike cigarette prices.

"By 2030, more than 80 percent of the deaths will occur in developing countries, which have been increasingly targeted by tobacco companies seeking new markets to circumvent tightening regulation in developed nations."