Some 3.000 tobacco control experts and policymakers gather in Cape Town, South Africa to take on an industry determined to devote large funds to the expansion of "the deadliest everyday consumer product ever made."
A CONFERENCE WHICH INVITES THE ELECTRONIC CIGARETTE!
The 17e World Conference " Tobacco or health ”(To say that one must choose one or the other) is organized from Wednesday to Friday in a city affected by a severe drought, to the point of risking water shortage. The event is an opportunity to present the most recent research, in particular on electronic cigarettes, and to debate the most effective policies and worrying trends, especially in developing countries.
« Cigarette is the most deadly consumer product ever made", Said Ruth Malone, a social scientist and tobacco expert and editor of Tobacco Control magazine.
Tobacco-related cancers kill seven million people worldwide each year, or one in ten deaths, according to the World Health Organization. While the share of smokers is falling in the richest countries, their number on the planet continues to increase.
The tobacco industry sells 5.500 trillion cigarettes per year to around 1 billion smokers, with a turnover approaching 700 billion dollars (570 billion euros).
« One in four men still smoke, as do one in 20 women" , highlighted Emmanuela Gakidou, professor of public health at the University of Washington in Seattle (United States).
« The tobacco epidemic“As the WHO calls it, costs a trillion dollars a year in health spending and lost productivity.
« Tobacco industry profits from taking children and young people hostage in poor countries in lifelong addictions“John Britton, director of the Center for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies at the University of Nottingham (Great Britain) told AFP.
« The tobacco industry has learned to exert considerable political influence to survive, and even prosper, as it manufactures and promotes a product that kills half of its regular consumers.". " The global market share of new emerging (especially Asian) tobacco groups is growing rapidly“, Points out Jappe Eckhardt, of the University of York (Great Britain).
According to him, the giant China Tobacco, world leader with 42% of the market, is " ready to make all current dwarf groups in the foreseeable future"
THE E-CIGARETTE IS STILL DIVIDED!
Another hot topic, the e-cigarette, which causes "marked divisions" among public health specialists, notes Ms. Lee.
"Ssince these products are relatively new, we simply do not have data on their long-term impact“, According to her.
Vaping, is it a way to attract future smokers? And how dangerous is it for the lungs? These questions are not settled. The industry has invested heavily in this innovation.
Source : Ttv5monde.com
