Tobacco use on pace to kill 1 billion people this century

The World Health Organization is warning that tobacco could kill a billion people around the world in this century. The Global Adult Tobacco Survey noted that nearly half of all men and more than one in 10 women use tobacco in many developing countries, Time.com reported. According to the study, women are also starting to smoke at an earlier age.

The authors of the study told Time that the numbers call for urgent changes in tobacco policy and regulation in developing nations. Gary Giovino, of the School of Public Health and Health Professions, told Time, “Our data reflect industry efforts to promote tobacco use. These include marketing and mass media campaigns by companies that make smoking seem glamorous, especially for women. The industry’s marketing efforts also equate tobacco use with Western themes, such as freedom and gender equality.”

Egypt is one country where researchers said they were seeing the largest increase in smoking. Edouard Tursan D’Espaignet, of WHO’s tobacco control program, told CNN that the increase is partially due to the revolution. CNN noted that government regulations limiting smoking fell apart after Hosni Mubarak’s regime was ousted last year. Tursan D’Espaignet added that “the tobacco industry walked in very, very aggressively” to market its product amid the chaos. ”We are hearing things like ‘Smoking is a way to show you’re free from the previous regime,’” he said.