WHO: tobacco kills 8 million annually worldwide

PanARMENIAN.Net - According to Siddhartha Sankar Datta, head of the World Health Organization’s office in Armenia, 8 million people die each year globally from tobacco and related product use, with another 1 million dying due to secondhand smoke exposure. He made the remarks during a press briefing dedicated to World No Tobacco Day.

“The world is changing, and so are the challenges. We want to address the public, both current and future generations, to raise awareness about diseases caused by tobacco use—particularly the 20 types of cancer it can lead to,” Datta stated, as reported by Aravot.

Alexander Bazarchyan, director of the National Institute of Health under Armenia’s Ministry of Health, emphasized that both heated tobacco products and electronic cigarettes, along with other nicotine-containing items, are rapidly penetrating the Armenian market, attracting new users.

While traditional cigarette use still dominates, statistics indicate a growing shift toward electronic and heated tobacco consumption.

Bazarchyan noted that nicotine-containing products often lead to addiction, turning users into long-term consumers.

“Unfortunately, these products are gaining broad popularity worldwide, especially among youth, because they are designed to appeal to that demographic. If you look at the packaging, appearance, flavor, and aroma of electronic nicotine products sold on the market, you’ll see they are crafted to attract young users,” he added.

Research shows that in Armenia, young people often begin their experience not with traditional cigarettes, but with nicotine products or e-cigarettes.