Tobacco: The Growing Global Epidemic.

Essay by hashthedealerJunior High, 9th gradeA+, October 2003

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Recent development in the globalization of the tobacco industry are reflected in the shifting of the burden of tobacco-related disease and deaths towards developing countries. Tobacco companies have been proven to be powerful to thwart widespread control programs in many countries. New strategies are needed to control the epidemic in developing regions, but what are they?

One billion people worldwide smoke and around 3.5 million die from tobacco-related illnesses annually. By 2030, this figure will rise to ten million, with 70 percent of deaths in Lower and Middle Income Countries (LMICs) or also known as Economically Less Developed Countries (ELDCs). Many anti-tobacco organizations have attempted to get rid of the influence the tobacco industries have on ELDCs.

They have tried to do this by controlling the export and import into a country, but want is the use as many people smuggle tobacco products into the country. Upon realizing this they joined the World Health Organization (WHO) and together they have created many plans that make reduce the number of smokers and tobacco-related diseases.

One of their amazing schemes is the "safer cigarettes" (no official name yet). This is a cutout from one of their articles from TIME magazines:

"Preventable smoking-related disease and consequent shortening of life continue unabated in Britain, where the number of deaths due to smoking are estimated at between 50 000 and 100 000 per year. What is to be done? After 20 years of health education, treatment at clinics, and antismoking propaganda there has been little sustained decline in either cigarette sales or the number of people who smoke, No doubt this is because cigarette smoking is so addictive. However, until recently most health education programs under WHO have been aimed at the goal of stopping smoking through a long-term process rather than a sudden halt.