A study into global death rates caused by tobacco estimates 5 million people a year die from smoking.
This is almost double previous estimates and has grave implications for the global health burden tobacco is causing according to one of the study’s authors.
Professor Alan Lopez, head of The University of Queensland’s School of Population Health, said the research also showed for the first time developing nations had the same death toll from smoking as western nations.
“The figures we are looking at mean almost one in 10 deaths worldwide are caused by tobacco,” he said.
The research, conducted when Professor Lopez worked for the World Health Organisation and published in the latest edition of prestigious scientific journal The Lancet, also predicted the annual death toll could climb to 10 million within two decades.
He said the vast majority of these deaths would be in poorer countries.
“The health burden alone is going to be huge,” Professor Lopez said.
“There are about 28 diseases associated with smoking and if they don’t kill you they usually see you needing intensive health care afterwards.
“Providing that care means the costs will be enormous.”
Together with his research partner Majid Ezzati, from the Harvard School of Public Health, Professor Lopez said they hoped their research would mean a fundamental shift in public health policy around the world.
“Hopefully this work will accelerate the need for countries around the world to restrict or ban the promotion of tobacco,” Professor Lopez said.
Media: For more information contact Professor Alan Lopez (telephone 07 3365 5590 or 0412 177 714) or Andrew Dunne at UQ Communications (telephone 07 3365 2802).
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