Tobacco takes 10 lives globally every minute, 17.9 million die each year

Smoker stats: 11 mn cigarettes a minute by a seventh of global population, 80% from low & middle income countries; Indonesia tops with 315 mn

On the occasion of 'World No Tobacco Day', the World Health Organisation (WHO) found that on any day around 11 million cigarettes are consumed every minute, around the world and about 10 people die thanks to smoking.  Around a seventh of the global population smokes cigarettes, with around 80 per cent of the world's smokers coming from low and middle income countries.

In Indonesia, around 76 per cent of males aged above 15 years smoke cigarettes making it the country with most number of smokers, and around  315 million smokers reside within China.

Around 43 per cent of the male population (above 15 years of age) in the year 2000 smoked tobacco, which has reduced to 34 per cent as of 2015. Of this, 11 per cent of women in 2000 smoked tobacco products, which is down to six per cent in 2015.

The substance has claimed around 100 million lives in the 20th century alone, more than the 80 million people who died during World War II. It is also the world's leading case of non-communicable disease deaths, responsible for 44 per cent of all NCD deaths or 17.9 million deaths annually.

Tobacco use has decreased in Australia, Brazil and Britain, where governments have enacted strong anti-smoking measures include higher taxes, bans and health warnings on the packaging.

WHO's survey found that when tobacco usage falls in one country it is usually offset by the consumption of such substances in countries where there are lax regulations and controls on tobacco.

ICICI Lombard General Insurance company also conducted a survey on the occassion of 'World No Tobacco Day' across 1,000 respondents and found that smokers between the ages of 20 and 35 years smoked 28 per cent more on average than those in the 36 to 50 years age bracket.

Forty-threee per cent of young Indians (20 to 35 years), ICICI Lombard's survey found, were far more vocal and open about their smoking habits than those in older (35 to 50 years) group, who usually were shy, embarrassed or who believed it is a personal affair.

The younger group are content with sharing pictures of them smoking on social media accounts, with around 23 per cent of the respondents saying that they smoked to 'look cool.' They also smoke 7 cigarettes on average whereas the older group smokes five on average, every day.

The most surprising finding in the second survey was that 37 per cent of the respondents indicated that their cigarette consumption increased after getting employed.

Sixty-four per cent of respondents said they are addicted and can't quit, while 25 per cent said smoking would not cause any health issues.  

Around five to six firms control over 80 per cent of the global cigarette market and made over $62 billion in profits, WHO's report notes.

The general insurer found that 49 per cent of the older grup smoked due to work pressure, compared to 36 per cent of respondents in the younger group, while an almost qual proportion of respondents in both groups stated that they smoked to relieve daily stress quickly.

Six per cent of the world's spending on healthcare goes towards treating people with ailments caused by tobacco smoking, which is abour two percent of global GDP, according to a January 2017 study in the scientific journal Tobacco Control.

Clearly, since the infamous days of Jeffrey Wigands' revelations of the tobacco industries (particularly Brown and Williamson) deceitful advertising and malicious intent to sell tobacco consumables laced with ammonia, the substance or product continues to have drastic effects on the health of people, across the planet.