Tobacco kills 8 million people annually, says WHO

Tobacco-related illnesses kill about eight million people annually, the World Health Organisation (WHO) representative to Cambodia, Li Ailan, said on Wednesday.

Alan said the harmful impact of the tobacco industry on the environment is vast and growing, adding that it was unnecessary pressure on our planet’s already scarce resources and fragile ecosystems.

“Tobacco kills over eight million people every year worldwide and over 15,000 people annually here in Cambodia,’’ she said.

The WHO said in a statement to mark the World No Tobacco Day on May 31 that smoke-free environments enhance tourism experiences in Cambodia.

It added that promoting smoke-free tourism helps protect hospitality workers, visitors, and the local environment from dangerous second-hand smoke and poisonous tobacco product waste.

The statement added that promoting smoke-free environments is a small but important step to recognizing and then curtailing the harmful effects of tobacco production and use, not only on our health but also on the health of our planet.

It is said that tobacco smoke contains 7,000 chemicals, of which several are known to cause cancer, as well as three kinds of greenhouse gases, namely carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxides.

According to the Cambodia Ministry of Health, there are approximately 1.68 million tobacco users in the Southeast Asian nation.