Tobacco key facts
"Never have so few made so much money, from so many doing something so stupid."
Tobacco use is one of the biggest public health threats the world has ever faced.
- There are more than one billion smokers in the world.
- Globally, use of tobacco products is increasing, although it is decreasing in high-income countries.
- Almost half of the world's children breathe air polluted by tobacco smoke.
- The epidemic is shifting to the developing world.
- More than 80% of the world's smokers live in low- and middle-income countries.
- Tobacco use kills 5.4 million people a year - an average of one person every six seconds - and accounts for one in 10 adult deaths worldwide.
- Tobacco kills up to half of all users.
- It is a risk factor for six of the eight leading causes of deaths in the world
Because there is a lag of several years between when people start using tobacco and when their health suffers, the epidemic of disease and death has just begun.
- 100 million deaths were caused by tobacco in the 20th century. If current trends continue, there will be up to one billion deaths in the 21st century.
- Unchecked, tobacco-related deaths will increase to more than eight million a year by 2030, and 80% of those deaths will occur in the developing world.
REVENUE FROM SELECTED TOBACCO COMPANIES
Philip Morris USA Inc. Revenue (2008): US$18.75 billion
Philip Morris International (2008): US25.7 billion.
Reynolds American Inc. Revenue (2008):US $8.85 billion
Lorillard, Inc. Revenue (2007): US$864 million
Altria Group, Inc. Revenue (2008): $19.36 billion
British American Tobacco p.l.c. Revenue (2007):US $52.37 billion
Japan Tobacco Inc. Revenue (2008): US$64.55 billion
Imperial Tobacco Group PLC Revenue (2007): US$25.28 billion
TOTAL: US$190 billion
(Any idea of how many cigarettes that is?)
FACE THE FACTS:
If you cannot stop smoking cigarettes you're addicted.
Help (Philip Morris Internationa)l >