VIENTIANE (Vientiane Times/ANN): Laos has the second worst record of all Asean countries with regard to smoking-related deaths, even though health officials have worked to raise public awareness of the harmful effects of tobacco.
Deaths, where tobacco is considered to be the main contributor, are estimated at 4,807 per year on average or 13 people per day, while every year tobacco kills at least 8 million people around the world.
Millions more live with lung cancer, tuberculosis, asthma, or chronic lung diseases caused by tobacco. Healthy lungs are essential for living a healthy, productive, and active life.
The widespread use of tobacco means that a very large number of people are exposed to serious health risks, with effective tobacco control being the only way to reduce these risks and better protect our health, the Lao Framework Convention on Tobacco Control states.