The World Lung Foundation (WLF), a health campaign group, and the American Cancer Society indicated reported on Thursday that the tobacco industry makes $7,000 for every person that dies from a smoking-related illness.
Each year, there are more than 6 million deaths attributed to smoking-related illness. Simple math says that this equates to over $42 billion per year for the tobacco industry. An industry which produced enough cigarettes to supply the more than 5.8 trillion cigarettes that the Daily Mail reported were smoked last year.
This century alone, the WLF is predicing one-billion deaths attributed to tobacco smoking and exposure; this assumes the continuation of current trends.
Tobacco use is the leading cause of premature death from chronic conditions which include heart disease, high blood pressure and strokes.
The WLF report indicated that “significant reductions in smoking rates” in specific countries including the Australia, Brazil and the U.K. “implement increasingly tight tobacco control laws have been offset by the growing consumption in a single nation: China”.
The significant reductions in smoking rates in the United Kingdom, Australia, Brazil, and other countries that implement increasingly tight tobacco control laws have been offset by the growing consumption in a single nation: China
The report cited a slue of industry efforts including the aggressive targeting of developing economies in Asia and elsewhere in what it referred to as unprecedented activity by the tobacco industry which is presently stifling progress.
In lobbying efforts alone, the industry spent over $26 million lobbying in just the United States.
The tactics employed by the industry are causing economic, social and environmental damage according to the WLF.
This recent report comes on the heels of Bill Gates and Michael Bloomberg’s recent announcement in which the two have combined forces through their charitable entities to launch an anti-tobacco legal fund which aims to help countries draft legislation to control tobacco while providing capital to assist with legal costs.
What are your thoughts on the tobacco industry’s efforts as seen through the eyes of the American Cancer Society and World Lung Foundation?
