...

Used with permission of Action on Smoking & Health.

OF THE 1.1 BILLION PEOPLE throughout the world who use tobacco products, close to 80 percent live in low- or middle-income countries. About half of these individuals will die from cancer or other tobacco-related diseases. But their smoking will result in more than personal harm: In low-income countries, tobacco addiction leads smokers to spend up to 30 percent of their income on tobacco products, depleting family funds needed for groceries, education and health cae.

Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), a nonprofit based in Washington, D.C., works with the World Health Organization to encourage countries to adopt comprehensive smoke-free laws and health care services that include smoking cessation.

To find more information and facts about worldwide tobacco use, like the one at left, visit the ASH website.