Tobacco kills six million people worldwide

Tobacco use killed almost six million people worldwide in 2011, with nearly 80 per cent of those deaths occurring in low and middle-income countries.

According to The Tobacco Atlas, if the trend continues, one billion people will die from tobacco use and exposure during the 21st century, which amounts to one person fatality every six seconds.

A statement issued by the American Cancer Society (ACS) and copied to the Ghana News Agency on Tuesday said The Tobacco Atlas provides health care and tobacco control and advocates a powerful tool that makes it easier for one to understand and explain the global burden.

The Atlas also suggests effective solutions to the problem that could save millions of lives.

It said the Atlas, along with its web site: http://tobaccoatlas.org; graphically depicts the scale of the tobacco epidemic, progress in tobacco control, and the latest products and tactics deployed by the highly profitable industry.

The statement noted that ACS and the World Lung Foundation launched the first Arabic version of The Tobacco Atlas - 4th Edition this year in Cairo, Egypt, and a Spanish version of the publication in Santiago, Chile.