Have you ever heard a friend or loved one who uses tobacco say they are "dying for a smoke?"  "Dying for a smoke" is an expression used by smokers on their feeling of the need to light up, but according to scientific research, it also can very aptly describe the result of their smoking habit.

Halo, noble viewers, and welcome to today's Healthy Living. In honor of yesterday's celebration of World No-Tobacco Day we will be discussing the hazards of smoking.

Tobacco is listed as one of the most serious global health threats by the World Health Organization (WHO). Each year 5.4 million people die from tobacco-related diseases, and according to the World Health Organization's projections, the number of annual deaths due to smoking will increase to more than eight million by the year 2030 if no effective measures are taken.

Statistics show that one-fifth of the world's population or 1.2 billion people smoke tobacco. Although in recent years smoking has significantly declined in industrialized countries, a growing number of young people and women are now unfortunately joining the ranks of smokers in developing countries.

The World Health Organization projects that 500-million present smokers will die from tobacco-induced diseases if the current trend does not stop, while the total number of deaths caused by smoking will reach one billion during the 21st century.

Medical evidence shows that smoking is responsible for at least 25 diseases, including cardiovascular disease, lung cancer, emphysema, oral cavity cancer, esophageal cancer, stomach cancer and liver cancer. Sir Richard Peto, world-renowned epidemiologist from the University of Oxford in England, estimates
that one-third to one-half of smokers will die of tobacco-related ailments.