'Big Tobacco' kills 8M people yearly – WHO

THE World Health Organization (WHO) called out the tobacco industry, saying that Big Tobacco's relentless pursuit of profit results in eight million deaths each year.

WHO emphasized the urgent need for global intervention, saying that the industry prioritizes profits over human lives.

«Big Tobacco will stop at nothing to reach their audience… even if it means they kill eight million people a year with their products. It's time to step in and call them out,» the WHO said in a Facebook post on June 17.

«The tobacco industry spends an average of $23 million on marketing every day. Tell them your lung health is not for sale,» WHO added.

The tobacco epidemic is one of the world's most severe public health threats — more than seven million of the fatalities result from direct tobacco use, while approximately 1.3 million are caused by exposure to second-hand smoke, WHO said.

All forms of tobacco are harmful, with no safe level of exposure. Cigarette smoking remains the most prevalent form, but other products like water-pipe tobacco, cigars, and smokeless tobacco are also widely used.

Tobacco addiction drives families into poverty by diverting essential spending from food and shelter. The economic impact of tobacco is vast, encompassing significant health care costs and lost productivity due to tobacco-related diseases and deaths, WHO said.