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Global Smoking Statistics (con't)
Health and Advertising

By Terry Martin, About.com

Updated January 28, 2007

About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by our Medical Review Board

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Health

Half of long-term smokers will die from tobacco. Every cigarette smoked cuts at least five minutes of life on average - about the time taken to smoke it.

Smoking is the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death. It is a prime factor in heart disease, stroke and chronic lung disease. It can cause cancer of the lungs, larynx, oesophagus, mouth, and bladder, and contributes to cancer of the cervix, pancreas, and kidneys.

More than 4,000 toxic or carcinogenic chemicals have been found in tobacco smoke.

One British survey found that nearly 99% of women did not know of the link between smoking and cervical cancer.

One survey found that 60% of Chinese adults did not know that smoking can cause lung cancer while 96% were unaware it can cause heart disease.

At least a quarter of all deaths from heart diseases and about three-quarters of world's chronic bronchitis are related to smoking.

Smoking-related diseases cost the United States more than $150 billion a year.

Advertising

US-based multinational Philip Morris - the world's biggest cigarette company - was the world’s ninth largest advertiser in 1996, spending more than $3 billion.

A survey a few years ago found that nearly 80% of American advertising executives from top agencies believed cigarette advertising does make smoking more appealing or socially acceptable to children. Through advertising, tobacco firms try to link smoking with athletic prowess, sexual attractiveness, success, adult sophistication, adventure and self-fulfilment.

A survey in the UK found about half of smokers think that smoking "can’t really be all that dangerous, or the Government wouldn’t let cigarettes be advertised".

A 1998 survey found that tobacco companies were among the top 10 advertisers in 18 out of 66 countries surveyed.

In Asia, tobacco companies are among the top 10 advertisers in Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar and the Philippines.

In Russia, according to press reports, foreign tobacco companies are the largest advertisers, accounting for as much as 40% of all TV and radio advertising.

In 1997, the tobacco industry's spending on advertising in the United States was about $15 million a day ($5.7 billion for the year).

The tobacco industry has changed the way it advertises in the last 30 years. Now, only 10% of advertising expenditure goes to print and outdoor advertisements, while more than half goes to promotional allowances and items, such as t-shirts for young people or lighters and key rings.

After the entry of foreign multinational tobacco firms into Japan, the Republic of Korea and Thailand, youth and female smoking rose significantly.

*The 37 countries and areas comprising the WHO Western Pacific Region are: American Samoa, Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Cook Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, Hong Kong (China), Japan, Kiribati, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Macao (China), Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Mongolia, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Pitcairn Islands, Republic of Korea, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Viet Nam, and Wallis and Futuna.

_{Source: World Health Organization - Smoking Statistics}