Tobacco killing in low-income and middle-income countries

Abstract

On March 22, Bloomberg Philanthropies pledged further funds (US$220 million) over the next 4 years to combat tobacco use, which is the most preventable cause of death, worldwide. The Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use will use the funding through its various activities, which include continued support of low-income and middle-income countries where the burden of tobacco use is highest. 85% of the world's population live in low-income and middle-income countries. 10% of all deaths resulting from non-communicable diseases (including cancer, cardiovascular and chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes) are related to tobacco and most of these occur in these countries. In 2011, nearly 80% of the 6 million tobacco-related deaths were in low-income and middle-income countries. In China, tobacco use is the main killer, with the number of deaths per year predicted to increase from 1·2 million in 2012 to 3·5 million by 2030. In India, 42% of all cancer deaths in men aged 30–69 years and 18% in women in 2010 were tobacco related. By 2040, the prevalence of smoking is predicted to decrease to less than 5% worldwide, but because of the population growth in low-income and middle-income countries the number of smokers is likely to increase. One person is predicted to die every 6 seconds from tobacco-related causes this century. WHO's MPOWER package of tobacco control policies (Monitor tobacco use and prevention policies; Protect people from tobacco smoke; Offer help to quit tobacco use; Warn about the dangers of tobacco; Enforce bans on advertising, promotion, and sponsorship; and Raise taxes on tobacco) is working. For example, poor education and income levels are associated with low rates of quitting smoking, but a 10% increase in the price of cigarettes is able to reduce the demand by 2–8% in low-income and middle-income countries. Despite resistance from the tobacco industry, such as litigation to avoid having plain packaging and warnings on packets and attempts to subvert the tobacco-control legislation, the future health of people worldwide is paramount. Effective tobacco control is key to rapid progress in reduction of non-communicable diseasesNon-communicable diseases (NCDs)—including cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, cancer, and diabetes—account for about 60% of global deaths, mostly in countries of low or middle income. Tobacco use accounts for a sixth of these deaths.1 Full-Text PDF