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Doctors Call for Strong Anti-Tobacco Treaty GENEVA (Reuters) - Medical associations representing 10 million doctors in 117 countries urged governments Monday to agree on a strong international treaty to curb tobacco use. (story)
More than 50% of adolescents, age 12 - 13, still think there are benefits to smoking. Educate your children about the dangers of smoking before they become addicted.
Tobacco use remains the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, causing more than 440,000 deaths each year and resulting in an annual cost of more than $75,000,000,000 in direct medical costs. Approximately 80% of adult smokers started smoking before the age of 18. Every day nearly 5,000 young people under the age of 18 try their first cigarette. Don't want to be a statistic? Don't start!
Based on current trends, tobacco could soon become the leading cause of premature death worldwide, killing more than HIV/AIDS, maternal mortality, car accidents, homicide and suicide combined, the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) activists say.
The United States, Japan and Germany, which are home to large tobacco concerns, are,working against outright bans on publicity of tobacco products, further endangering youth who are coerced to begin smoking by tobacco's glamorous image in movies, videos, and by popular stars.
Smoking among 8th to 10th graders has risen 50% since 1991, while smoking among adults has dramatically decreased. About 1/3 of high school students have smoked at least one cigarette in the last 30 days. Get the word out! Don't start so you don't have to fight the battle to quit! |