Health
Cutting tobacco use a world effort
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Feb. 25, 2008
Nearly every nation in the world has much to do to help control tobacco use, according to a report released Feb. 7 by the World Health Organization.
Included in the report was a plan with broad strategies designed to reduce smoking.
The report, billed as the first comprehensive analysis of global tobacco use, revealed that governments around the world collect 500 times more money in tobacco taxes each year than they spend on anti-tobacco efforts.
The growth in tobacco use has shifted to the developing world. There, the tobacco industry has been making efforts to target young people and adults, thus ensuring that millions of people become addicted every year, the report charged.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2008/02/25/hlbf0225.htm.