Smoking Biggest Killer in Developing World
Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/low/english/health/newsid_1238000/1238854.stm
SUSSEX, U.K., March 26,
2001: Smoking will become the biggest killer in developing world countries
within the next 20 years, surpassing those deaths caused by the Aids epidemic
according to the Institute of Development Studies in Sussex, UK's government-
based study. The report forecasts that within two decades 8.5 million people
a year will be dying in developing countries because of smoking. A billion
people around the world are currently smokers, and tobacco-related illness
currently kills 3.5 million a year. At the moment it is mainly a rich country
disease, but the report says this is changing fast. The report says the
increasing process of globalization will be partly to blame as developing
countries are forced to drop tariff barriers against highly successful
international brands and that many governments are seduced by the inward
investment this brings, but have not realized the long-term cost in human
lives.
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