smoking KILLS someone in Europe
every 48 seconds

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Tobacco

The number of smokers in the population is high, about 30%, and the health impact is similarly significant. In the European Union over 650,000 Europeans are killed every year because they smoke, which accounts for one in seven of all deaths across the EU, and over 13 million more are suffering from a serious chronic disease as a result of their smoking.

WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control

The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) is the first treaty negotiated under the auspices of the World Health Organization. The WHO FCTC is an evidence-based treaty that reaffirms the right of all people to the highest standard of health. The WHO FCTC represents a paradigm shift in developing a regulatory strategy to address addictive substances; in contrast to previous drug control treaties, the WHO FCTC asserts the importance of demand reduction strategies as well as supply issues.

WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic

The first comprehensive worldwide analysis of tobacco use and control efforts. It provides countries with a roadmap to reverse the devastating global tobacco epidemic that could kill up to one billion people by the end of this century.

Tobacco or Health in the European Union

The Tobacco or Health in the European Union: Past, present and future, or the ASPECT report, was published in October 2005 and launched by Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection, David Byrne, at a press conference in Brussels. The report sets out recommendations for action at European level that are based on sound science and proven to be effective in reducing tobacco consumption.

How did we calculate a death every 48 seconds?

Tobacco is the main cause of preventable death in Europe, killing 1 in 2 smokers and resulting in up to 79,000 deaths from second hand smoke [1] (other people’s cigarettes).