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U.N.: Death Toll From Tobacco-Related Diseases Projected to Increase Dramatically
AP ^ | 5/28/04 | Sam Cage

Posted on 05/28/2004 2:20:58 PM PDT by Jean S

GENEVA (AP) - Tobacco use kills almost 5 million people a year worldwide and the toll could double within 20 years, the head of the U.N. health agency said Friday.

In comments ahead of the annual World No Tobacco Day on Monday, Lee Jong-wook said most tobacco-related deaths occur in developing countries, placing a huge burden on health services that cannot afford the extra costs.

For example, the director-general of the World Health Organization noted that the annual cost of treating tobacco-related diseases in Egypt is an estimated $546 million.

"The world cannot accept such easily preventable human and economic losses," Lee said.

The number of tobacco users is now 1.3 billion, but that is expected to increase to 1.7 billion in 2025, WHO said.

"Consumption is inversely related to the socio-economic level - it goes up as the standard of living goes down," Lee said.

"I urge everyone to think of how we can help to break the vicious circle of the poor consuming tobacco more, and tobacco consumption increasing poverty."

Tobacco also can damage countries' economies through increased health-care costs; the loss of foreign exchange, since most countries are net tobacco importers; the loss of tax revenues because of smuggling; and the environmental damage from tobacco cultivation.

Many governments organize events May 31 to commemorate World No Tobacco Day, meant to spotlight the fight against smoking-related illnesses.

Lee urged more countries to sign WHO's landmark anti-tobacco treaty, which aims to direct policies to reduce the health and economic damage of tobacco. WHO concluded the treaty in May 2003.

Of WHO's 192 member states, 118 - including the United States - have signed it. Sixteen have ratified it, although U.S. lawmakers have not done so. The treaty needs to be ratified by 40 countries to take effect.

Lee said the treaty "will become a powerful means of controlling this entirely unnecessary threat to health and welfare. Countries should lose no time in signing and ratifying the convention."

Countries have until June 29 to sign the treaty, which also sets out provisions and minimum standards signatories will have to respect in their tobacco-control programs.

AP-ES-05-28-04 1703EDT


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Front Page News
KEYWORDS: deathtoll; health; pufflist; smoking; tobacco
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1 posted on 05/28/2004 2:20:59 PM PDT by Jean S
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To: JeanS

In the meantime, the UN oil for food scandal has sunk from sight quicker than Air America after the election.


2 posted on 05/28/2004 2:21:58 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (Drug prohibition laws help fund terrorism.)
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To: JeanS

The Kerry campaign blamed President Bush's ties to the tobacco industry, as well as his rushing into health care without an adequate plan. Sen. Kerry promises to work closely with the U.N. to build low-nicotine and anti-tobacco alliances.


3 posted on 05/28/2004 2:23:18 PM PDT by Coop (Freedom isn't free)
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To: JeanS
"Tobacco use kills almost 5 million people a year worldwide"

Lies, all lies. Stress causes cancer coupled with genetic predisposition. That's why children can be born with cancer, or women can lose a breast without smoking a day in their life.

4 posted on 05/28/2004 2:36:58 PM PDT by Darheel (Visit the strange and wonderful.)
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To: JeanS

Hell the UN is the only place in NY where you can smoke.


5 posted on 05/28/2004 2:41:04 PM PDT by boomop1
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To: JeanS; Gabz; SheLion

World No Tobacco Day?

This is a joke,right?


6 posted on 05/28/2004 2:49:09 PM PDT by Mears
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To: boomop1

What hypocrites---"Do as I say,not as I do".


7 posted on 05/28/2004 2:50:14 PM PDT by Mears
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To: Darheel
Stress causes cancer coupled with genetic predisposition. That's why children can be born with cancer, or women can lose a breast without smoking a day in their life.

How is it that babies can be stressed to the point of getting cancer?

8 posted on 05/28/2004 2:59:09 PM PDT by pete anderson
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To: Darheel; SheLion; Gabz; Madame Dufarge

ATTENTION ALL----MONDAY IS WORLD NO TOBACCO DAY!

On Monday we all should stand,smoke free,hold hands,and sing"We are the world,we are the children-----"

I'm getting tears in my eyes right now from the beauty of it all!


9 posted on 05/28/2004 3:00:13 PM PDT by Mears
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To: Mears

NO dear, it's not a joke.


10 posted on 05/28/2004 3:00:26 PM PDT by Gabz (Ted Kennedy has killed more people than all SHS combined.)
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To: Darheel

Also some cancers are caused by viruses.....cervical cancer is the perfect example.

Even though it is common knowlege in the medical community that HPV causes 98-99% of all cervical cancers, the antis still claim that it is caused by smoking.


11 posted on 05/28/2004 3:03:03 PM PDT by Gabz (Ted Kennedy has killed more people than all SHS combined.)
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To: Mears; *puff_list; Just another Joe; SheLion; lockjaw02; CSM; metesky; Madame Dufarge; ...
ATTENTION ALL----MONDAY IS WORLD NO TOBACCO DAY!

I was going to do it tomorrow - but I will wait until Monday to plant my tobacco!!!!!!!

Have to honor No Tobacco Day, don't I????????

12 posted on 05/28/2004 3:08:56 PM PDT by Gabz (Ted Kennedy has killed more people than all SHS combined.)
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To: Darheel

"Tobacco use kills almost 5 million people a year worldwide "

Prove it empirically, UN; or in the alternative, STFU!


13 posted on 05/28/2004 3:17:09 PM PDT by Right Angler
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To: Gabz
MONDAY IS WORLD NO TOBACCO DAY!

For WHO? The ANTI'S??!!

14 posted on 05/28/2004 3:35:29 PM PDT by SheLion (Please register to vote! We can't afford to be silent.)
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To: SheLion

ROFLMAO!!!!!!!!

Perfect, perfect graphic!!!!!!!!!!!!


15 posted on 05/28/2004 3:37:47 PM PDT by Gabz (Ted Kennedy has killed more people than all SHS combined.)
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To: Gabz

16 posted on 05/28/2004 3:39:00 PM PDT by SheLion (Please register to vote! We can't afford to be silent.)
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To: SheLion

As I was replying to you post Jax came up and asked me if that was a horse and what was it doing - You don't know how careful I had to be in the way I answered her!!!!!!!!

And on that note - I've got to get moving.......coolbreeze has been in Atlanta all week, but called me earlier to say he was able to catch an earlier flight. His plane is probably landing about now, if not already and he has a 2 hour drive home......but I've got a sink full of dishes and a couple of other things I need to get done. He wasn't supposed to get home until after midnight!!!

Talk soon!!!


17 posted on 05/28/2004 3:44:40 PM PDT by Gabz (Ted Kennedy has killed more people than all SHS combined.)
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To: JeanS

Since they don't get Saddams oil money anymore, they are going afte tobacco. And what do you bet they only go after American tobacco companies-- because they wouldn't stop asian farmers from making money on tobacco because asian contries are considered "least developed countries" in UN parlance and therefore they can do anything they want.

Isn't the world sick yet, of the UNs totalitarian control of every aspect of life on earth?


18 posted on 05/28/2004 3:50:01 PM PDT by hedgetrimmer
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To: JeanS
...the fight against smoking-related illnesses.

I am a non-smoker, but what angers me are the zealots who try to confuse smoking-related with smoking-caused. They are not the same thing.

A couple of years ago, a friend of mine died from lung cancer caused by high levels of radon in her house. Even though she didn't smoke a day in her life, her death was from a disease that's considered smoking-related.

19 posted on 05/28/2004 4:14:29 PM PDT by Dave Olson
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To: Gabz
As I was replying to you post Jax came up and asked me if that was a horse and what was it doing - You don't know how careful I had to be in the way I answered her!!!!!!!!

Oh Gabz! It's a DONKEY. Or JACKASS. LOL!

Ok. Hope he has a good flight home. Talk to you later.

20 posted on 05/28/2004 4:23:22 PM PDT by SheLion (Please register to vote! We can't afford to be silent.)
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