Brasília, May 31, 2004 (Agência Brasil) - Even though the health damages caused by cigarettes are widely know, around 200 thousand people die each year of smoking-related diseases. These data are from the National Cancer Institute of Brazil (Inca) and the Pan-American Health Organization (Paho).

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cigarettes cause the death of over 13 thousand people daily throughout the world. Around 4 million men and 1 million women die annually. According to the Ministry of Health, there are 11.2 million women and 16.7 million men who smoke in Brazil. According to the Inca, smokers inhale approximately 4,700 toxic substances, 60 of which are carcinogenic.

Today, May 31, is World No-Tobacco Day. This year's theme is "Smoking and Poverty." Tânia Cavalcante, head of the Inca's Smoking Control Division, recalls that there are low-income workers who buy cigarettes instead of food. "This is what worries us, the increase in smokers among the low-income population," she affirms. She believes that, in this case, smoking adds to social inequalities, since workers neglect investments in health and education, for example.

In Brazil, between 1980 and 2002, according to Cavalcante, a 38% drop was registered in cigarette consumption. "This reduction is extremely significant," affirms the physician, who is also concerned about passive smokers. Currently there are laws prohibiting smoking in enclosed spaces, she informs.

The Inca treats smoking as a disease. Cavalcante points to the need for more investments in order to increase the number of smokers with access to treatment in public hospitals in Brazil.

Reporter: Paula Menna Barreto
Translator: David Silberstein