– Tobacco related illnesses kill more than 15,000 people annually in Cambodia, World Health Organisation (WHO) representative to Cambodia, Li Ailan said today.

“The harmful impact of the tobacco industry on the environment is vast and growing, adding unnecessary pressure to our planet’s already scarce resources and fragile ecosystems,” she said.

“Tobacco kills over eight million people every year worldwide, and over 15,000 people annually here in Cambodia,” Li wrote on social media.

In a news release, to mark World No Tobacco Day yesterday, WHO said, smoke-free environments enhance tourism experiences in Cambodia and that, promoting smoke-free tourism helps protect hospitality workers, visitors, and the local environment from dangerous second-hand smoke and poisonous tobacco product waste.

“Promoting smoke-free environments is a small but important step to recognising and then curtailing the harmful effects of tobacco production and use, not only on our health, but also on the health of our planet,” the news release said.

Tobacco smoke contains 7,000 chemicals, of which several are known to cause cancer, as well as, three kinds of greenhouse gases, namely carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxides, it said.

According to the Ministry of Health, there are approximately 1.68 million tobacco users in the country.

Source: NAM News Network