Speaking at a cancer conference in Birmingham, England, on October 4, Professor Richard Peto, a prominent cancer expert from the UK, warned that in this century, one billion people worldwide are expected to die from cancer and diseases related to smoking.
Professor Peto indicated that up to 30 million people globally take up smoking each year. If more than 20 million of these individuals continue smoking, and if half of them succumb to smoking-related illnesses, the world could see over 10 million deaths annually due to smoking-related diseases.
The UK government and health organizations in the country are advocating for a nationwide campaign to ban smoking in public places. This ban is expected to be implemented in early 2006.
