World Health Day 1980 - Smoking or health - the choice
is yours
The World Health Organization designated World Health Day in 1980 to the
health problems as a result of smoking. The slogan "Smoking or health -
the choice is yours" improved the awareness of these problems, such as
lung cancer, heart failures and problems with breathing.
Tobacco is the second major cause of death in the
world. It is currently responsible for the death of one in ten adults worldwide
(about 5 million deaths each year). If current smoking patterns continue, it
will cause some 10 million deaths each year by 2020. Half the people that smoke
today - that is about 650 million people - will eventually be killed by
tobacco.
Tobacco is the fourth most common risk factor for
disease worldwide. The economic costs of tobacco use are equally devastating.
In addition to the high public health costs of treating tobacco-caused
diseases, tobacco kills people at the height of their productivity, depriving
families of breadwinners and nations of a healthy workforce. Tobacco users are
also less productive while they are alive due to increased sickness. A 1994
report estimated that the use of tobacco resulted in an annual global net loss
of US$ 200 thousand million, a third of this loss being in developing
countries.
Link
The Tobacco Free Initiative on the WHO website.
Stamp catalogue
Niger
Tunisia
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