Smoking costs Dh3.7 trillion to economy

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Smoking costs Dh3.7 trillion to economy

Geneva - "The number of tobacco-related deaths is projected to increase from about 6 million deaths annually to about 8 million annually by 2030"

By Wam

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Published: Sun 15 Jan 2017, 1:33 PM

Last updated: Mon 16 Jan 2017, 9:09 PM

Smoking costs the global economy more than $1 trillion (Dh3.67 trillion approximately) a year, and will kill one third more people by 2030 than it does now, according to a study by the World Health Organisation and the U.S. National Cancer Institute published on Tuesday.
That cost far outweighs global revenues from tobacco taxes, which the WHO estimated at about $269 billion in 2013-2014, Reuters has reported.
"The number of tobacco-related deaths is projected to increase from about 6 million deaths annually to about 8 million annually by 2030, with more than 80 percent of these occurring in low- and middle-income countries," the study said.
The study says that cheap and effective policies, included hiking tobacco taxes and prices, comprehensive smoke-free policies, complete bans on tobacco company marketing, and prominent pictorial warning labels, can help in quitting smoking.
Tobacco taxes could also be used to fund more expensive interventions such as anti-tobacco mass media campaigns and support for cessation services and treatments, it said.
Governments spent less than $1 billion on tobacco control in 2013-2014, according to a WHO estimate.
 


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