The Asia-Pacific region has the world's fastest growth rate of smoking among children and women, a high-ranking World Health Organization (WHO) official highlighted today, urging the region to implement better smoke-free policies.
Asia-Pacific Has Fastest Rise In Children, Women Smoking: WHO - Asia Pulse
September 13, 2007
SEOUL, Sept 13 Asia Pulse - The Asia-Pacfic region has the world's fastest growth rate of smoking among children and women, a high-ranking World Health Organization (WHO) official highlighted Thursday, urging the region to implement better smoke-free policies.
"The (Asia-Pacific) region has one third of the world's smokers, the highest percentage of male smokers and the fastest increase of smoking among children and young women," said Shigeru Omi, WHO's director for the Western Pacific, at the 58th WHO Western Pacific Regional Committee meeting held on Jeju Island, South Korea's southernmost island.
Omi, without providing detailed statistics, called for an all-out war against tobacco use in the region, stressing that nearly all WHO Asia-Pacific members are parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).
In July 2007, parties to the convention, the world's first international public health treaty, adopted strong guidelines on second-hand smoke and established an organization to start work on a protocol to stop illegal tobacco trade.
"Tobacco use, the world's leading cause of preventable death, is an epidemic that will kill 1 billion people this century unless governments in rich and poor countries alike get serious about preventing it," Omi underscored.
The regional director noted that a few regional members have met the FCTC requirements, and that several more are making good progress in implementing the convention's provisions.
"In this region, we will continue to aggressively promote evidence-based strategies such as tax and price measures, the expansion of smoke-free policies and comprehensive bans on advertising and promotion," the WHO officials said.
The 58th WHO Regional Committee for the Western Pacific kicked off earlier in the day, bringing together more than 400 health officials from the agency's 31 regional member states to South Korea.
Source: Asia Pulse
September 13, 2007
SEOUL, Sept 13 Asia Pulse - The Asia-Pacfic region has the world's fastest growth rate of smoking among children and women, a high-ranking World Health Organization (WHO) official highlighted Thursday, urging the region to implement better smoke-free policies.
"The (Asia-Pacific) region has one third of the world's smokers, the highest percentage of male smokers and the fastest increase of smoking among children and young women," said Shigeru Omi, WHO's director for the Western Pacific, at the 58th WHO Western Pacific Regional Committee meeting held on Jeju Island, South Korea's southernmost island.
Omi, without providing detailed statistics, called for an all-out war against tobacco use in the region, stressing that nearly all WHO Asia-Pacific members are parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).
In July 2007, parties to the convention, the world's first international public health treaty, adopted strong guidelines on second-hand smoke and established an organization to start work on a protocol to stop illegal tobacco trade.
"Tobacco use, the world's leading cause of preventable death, is an epidemic that will kill 1 billion people this century unless governments in rich and poor countries alike get serious about preventing it," Omi underscored.
The regional director noted that a few regional members have met the FCTC requirements, and that several more are making good progress in implementing the convention's provisions.
"In this region, we will continue to aggressively promote evidence-based strategies such as tax and price measures, the expansion of smoke-free policies and comprehensive bans on advertising and promotion," the WHO officials said.
The 58th WHO Regional Committee for the Western Pacific kicked off earlier in the day, bringing together more than 400 health officials from the agency's 31 regional member states to South Korea.
Source: Asia Pulse
Comments