WORLDWIDE SMOKING IS AT AN ALL-TIME HIGH

A study published in the Lancet last Thursday said smoking has increased worldwide, and the number of smokers has reached an all-time high of 1.1 billion. Though the prevalence of smoking has reduced globally over the past three decades, just 10 countries make up two-thirds of the world’s smoking population: China, India, Indonesia, the US, Russia, Bangladesh, Japan, Turkey, Vietnam and the Philippines. One in three tobacco smokers (341 million) live in China (* And the people next door in Korea are pretty fed up with the second-hand smoke). The study’s authors said governments need to focus on reducing the uptake of smoking among young people, as 89% of new smokers were addicted by the age of 25 but beyond that age were unlikely to start.
* All that Public Service Announcement money well spent, gentlemen!
* This could explain all the smog in China.
* Why are we so worried about China taking over the world? Just challenge them to a footrace, they’ll never keep up.
* I’ve been meaning to quit… reading studies about smoking, I mean.