Tobacco kills 8 million people yearly, WHO tells govt to stop subsidising plant farming

On World No Tobacco Day, the World Health Organisation (WHO) says Tobacco is responsible for 8 million deaths a year and urged that governments stop subsidizing tobacco farming but support more sustainable crops that could feed millions.

WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, in a release, said that Tobacco is responsible for 8 million deaths a year, yet governments across the world spend millions supporting tobacco farms.

He declared that “By choosing to grow food instead of tobacco, we prioritize health, preserve ecosystems, and strengthen food security for all.”

Dr Ruediger Krech, Director of Health Promotion at WHO, declared “Tobacco is not only a massive threat to food insecurity, but health overall, including the health of tobacco farmers. Farmers are exposed to chemical pesticides, tobacco smoke and as much nicotine as found in 50 cigarettes – leading to illnesses like chronic lung conditions and nicotine poisoning.”

A new WHO report, “Grow food, not tobacco”, highlights the ills of tobacco growing and the benefits of switching to more sustainable food crops for farmers, communities, economies, the environment, and the world at large.

The report also exposes the tobacco industry for trapping farmers in a vicious cycle of debt, propagating tobacco growing by exaggerating its economic benefits and lobbying through farming front groups.

More than 300 million people globally are faced with acute food insecurity.

Meanwhile, more than 3 million hectares of land across more than 120 countries are being used to grow deadly tobacco, even in countries where people are starving.

Tobacco farming causes diseases to the farmers themselves and more than 1 million child labourers are estimated to be working on tobacco farms, missing their opportunity for an education.

Tobacco growing is a global problem. The focus has so far been on Asia and South America, but the latest data show tobacco companies are expanding to Africa. Since 2005, there has been a nearly 20% increase in tobacco farming land across Africa.