Smoking Effects

It is estimated that there are nearly two million smoking deaths a year in the developed world today, of course with variations from country to country. Of these, about one million are deaths between ages 35-70 years, literally death before old age. Cigarettes smoking inevitably translates to a lower life-expectancy. At this rate, World Health Organization estimates that deaths as a result of smoking could be as high as one billion by 2100, that is, in this century alone.

In the US the estimate is that 400,000 deaths a year are caused directly or indirectly by cigarette smoking alone. This means 36,666 smoking deaths per month, or 8,461per week, or 1,205 per day, or 50 per hour. And there is a smoking death rate for every age-group : newborns, infants, children, teens, 20s, 30s, 40s, ….even 100s. Studies show that the death rate among smokers is 2-3 times higher than among non-smokers. A smoker is also to expect a life expectancy that is 12 years shorter than that of the non-smoker.

The way tobacco companies advertise and market their product is for example known to have an impact on the rise in smoking and hence in smoking deaths in developing countries and even among the youth.

Further, cigarettes are highly addictive and are indeed a drug. And yet, cigarette smoking is legal in all the countries of the world.

Smoking deaths in developing countries are now said to equal those in developed countries. While it is heartening to note that developed countries are now experiencing decline in their numbers of smokers, statistics on smoking deaths still show increases as the habit is on the increase in the developing world. A lot is being done in some countries like Canada and Brazil to reduce the incidence of smoking – from the use of graphic advertising to deter smokers, to making the price of cigarettes prohibitive.

However a lot more needs to be done by other governments too, and the global community to check these trends. It is a known fact that the best way to stop this fatalities is by quitting the habit, or better still, never to start! On a wider scale, there can be legislative action towards making smoking illegal. The tobacco habit is man-made and the resultant smoking deaths are too many and they really are needless.