Abstract

Tobacco is now a major preventable cause of death in both developed and developing countries. Assuming current patterns of tobacco use and intervention efforts, from 2000 to 2030 the number of smokers will rise from 1.2 billion to 1.6 billion and the annual number of deaths will increase from 4.9 million to 10 million especially in low- and middleincome countries. Smoking causes death mostly from cancers, heart diseases and respiratory diseases and is associated with over fifty health conditions. Exposure in utero to maternal, or paternal tobacco smoke, is causally related to stillbirth, low-birth weight, congenital defects, childhood asthma and other respiratory illness. Exposure to others’ tobacco smoke increases the risks for lung cancer and heart disease. Tobacco control is a complex problem that depends on concerted multisectorial effort. Preventing children from using tobacco, promoting smoking cessation and increased access to cessation therapies, restrictions on smoking in public places and in workplaces, comprehensive bans on advertising and promotion are the major tobacco control policies. Tobacco cessation treatment is a significant component of an overall tobacco control program to reduce morbidity and mortality due to tobacco-related diseases. This article reviews human and societal harms of tobacco and tobacco control measures.