According to the who, over 40% of all deaths are tobacco related

The World No Tobacco Day was Friday, May 31. For the occasion, the WHO announced that every year tobacco is responsible for at least 8 million deaths. In addition, it causes lung cancer, asthma, tuberculosis, and chronic respiratory illnesses in millions of people.

The WHO is trying to warn smokers about their pulmonary health, but it also has reached out to e-cigarette users. The WHO does not considered the electronic cigarette to be a viable solution for quitting smoking. In a press release, the WHO drew attention to just how dangerous tobacco is, reminding everyone that 40% of all deaths are caused by cancer, pulmonary disease, chronic respiratory infections, and tuberculosis.

The organization is also asking that all countries protect their citizens from the dangers of tobacco. Doctor Tedros, general director of the WHO, announced that healthy lungs are essential for living a healthy lifestyle, and he strongly discourages people from smoking.

Second hand smoke: a scourge that also kills young children

According to the WHO, each year second-hand smoke kills over 60,000 children under 5-years old. These children are also at risk of lower respiratory infections. Furthermore, second-hand smoke can also cause chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in people who were exposed to cigarettes as children.

This is why the WHO is asking countries to adopt effective measures to fight tobacco addiction, especially those included in the MPOWER campaign. The organization has also called for tobacco-free areas, the implementation of new cigarette taxes, support for people trying to quit smoking, etc.

Finally, parents and community leaders are also called upon to protect the health of their children and their communities. In order to do this, they have been asked to launch awareness campaigns and to protect as many people as possible from the dangers of smoking and tobacco addiction.