A third of Southeast Asian adults are smokers, says WHO body

You might look good on the outside, but it's what's in the inside you should be worried about.
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Despite aggressive efforts to ban smoking, 30.4 percent of adult population in Southeast Asia still smoke. It's the region where smoking is growing fastest due to a huge population and targeted tobacco industry campaigns, according to WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC).

With a population of close to 574 million, and a market dominated by young adults, Southeast Asian countries like Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, the Philippines, and Vietnam are being targeted by tobacco marketing practices, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities and interference to weaken government policies that have long been banished elsewhere.

Whether you realize it or not, smoking kills YOU--and your LOVED ONES who inhale your smoke.
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According to FCTC, there are 1 million tobacco deaths every year in Southeast Asia, 20 percent of the global tobacco related deaths. Most tobacco-related deaths occur among working-age adults, and the poorest sectors of society are the most vulnerable and affected.

This is sad to note, considering that smoking has been declining in more developed countries--thanks to progressive policies, public awareness, and strict enforcement of international treaties.

Remember that not everyone appreciates inhaling the smoke you exhale.
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"The challenge for Southeast Asia is to fortify itself for this continuing and targeted assault on its people, and to catch up with the rest of the world in inoculating itself against the tactics and brute force of tobacco companies," said Bungon Ritthiphakdee, director of the Bangkok-based Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA). 

The WHO FCTC, the very first global health treaty is a very powerful tool to curb the tobacco epidemic that compels its 173 Parties to take strong actions and make steady progress towards achieving 100 percent smoke-free environments, comprehensive tobacco advertising bans, large pictorial health warnings, and more recently, higher tobacco taxes and prices, among many tobacco control measures.

If smoking kills, shouldn't smokers be called MURDERERS?
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Dr. Ulysses Dorotheo, project director of SEATCA’s Southeast Asia Initiative on Tobacco Tax (SEATCA-SITT) notes that “cigarettes remain extremely affordable in Southeast Asia: a pack of Marlboros in the Philippines, Cambodia and Laos costs at less than 80 US cents. Brunei, Thailand and Singapore have demonstrated the power of tax and price increases, and have boosted government revenues while reducing tobacco use and lowering health costs. We need to fight collectively to ensure that public health is prioritized over international trade.”

The economic impact of early death, disability and lost productivity contributes to the burden of poverty, retarding national development and further widening health inequities. Tobacco control is not only a public health priority, but also a key development issues.

Let us join in the move to stop smoking TODAY!