'World No Tobacco Day': Ban Tobacco Advertising, Says WHO

He added that "Second-hand smoke is the smoke that fills restaurants, offices or other enclosed spaces when people burn tobacco products such as cigarettes, cigars, 'bidis' and water pipes. There are more than 4000 chemicals in tobacco smoke, of which at least 250 are known to be harmful and more than 50 are known to cause cancer."

Kant said that "In adults, second-hand smoke causes serious cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, including coronary heart disease and lung cancer. In infants, it causes sudden death. In pregnant women, it causes low birth weight. Almost half of children regularly breathe air polluted by tobacco smoke in public places. Over 40 percent of children have at least one smoking parent. In 2004 WHO data, children accounted for 28 percent of the deaths attributable to second-hand smoke," as reported by TNN.

Douglas Bettcher, director of the WHO's Prevention of Noncommunicable Diseases Department, said most tobacco users start their deadly drug dependence before the age of 20.

"Banning tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship is one of the best ways to protect young people from starting smoking as well as reducing tobacco consumption across the entire population," Xinhua quoted Bettcher as saying in a statement.

(With IANS inputs)

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