Today marks the World Health Organisation’s 24th annual World No Tobacco Day; a day to further publicise the negative effects of a habit that prematurely kills some 6 million people a year.
Tobacco use is one of the biggest contributors to the epidemic of noncommunicable diseases - such as heart attack, stroke, cancer and emphysema - which accounts for 63% of all deaths, nearly 80% of which occur in low- and middle-income countries. Up to half of all tobacco users will eventually die of a tobacco-related disease- with upwards of 100,000 fatalities in the UK alone.
Problematic though smoking doubtless is, tobacco is nonetheless big business, with UK consumers spending £13.4 billion on tobacco a year. This generates a staggering £10.5 billion in tax revenues- £8.8bn from excise duty in addition to £1.7 billion in VAT.
A further £3.8 billion would be added to this figure if counterfeit cigarettes or cigarettes imported from cheaper countries where the tax is lower were eliminated.
The average price for a 20 pack in the UK is, according to the Tobacco Manufacturers’ Association, £6.63- of which more than 90% it tax.
Tobacco related jobs, notably those relating to wholesale, retail and distribution of tobacco products employ an estimated 85,000 individuals across the UK.
World No Tobacco Day is celebrated every year on 31 May as a mandate of the World Health Assembly, the supreme decision-making body of WHO, which is comprised of the organization's Member States. World No Tobacco Day informs the public about the dangers of tobacco use, the business practices of tobacco companies, what WHO is doing to fight the tobacco epidemic and what people can do to claim their right to health and healthy living and to protect future generations.
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