WHO: Smoking could kill 1 billion this century
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that one billion people will succumb to tobacco-related illnesses by the end of this century. WHO reports that tobacco currently kills 5.4 million people annually, and that the death toll could rise to as many as 8.3 million in the next 20 years, if comprehensive tobacco control efforts are not implemented around the globe. That being said, WHO also predicts a fifty percent reduction in smoking rates, if countries adopt extensive smokefree policies, dramatically increase taxes on cigarettes, and prohibit tobacco advertisements. To read more, click here.

Canada: Youth smoking rates at lowest rates ever
Results from the 2006 Canadian Tobacco Use Monitoring Survey indicate that the rate of youth smoking is at the lowest rate in the country’s history. The smoking rate for adolescents between the ages of 15 and 19 dropped three percentage points, from 18% in 2005 to 15% in 2006. Survey results also show that approximately 19% of Canadians ages 15 and older are current smokers, compared to 35% in 1985. Click here to read more.

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