Smokers at 50% Higher Risk of Developing Severe Diseases, Death From COVID-19: WHO | Earth Indian

New Delhi: World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has said that smokers have up to a 50 per cent higher risk of developing severe diseases and death from COVID-19. The WHO chief advised that quitting is the best thing smokers can do to lower the risks of COVID-19 and other diseases. “So quitting is the best thing smokers can do to lower their risk from this coronavirus, as well as the risk of developing cancers, heart disease and respiratory illnesses,” he said.

On World No Tobacco Day today, the WHO tweeted a video encouraging smokers to quit smoking. On this day every year, the WHO informs the public on the dangers of using tobacco.

“Today is World No Tobacco Day! The COVID-19 pandemic has led to millions of tobacco users saying they want to quit. Join communities of quitters and commit to quit today,” the WHO said in a tweet on Monday (May 31).

Today is #WorldNoTobaccoDay! 🚭

The #COVID19 pandemic has led to millions of tobacco users saying they want to quit.

Join communities of quitters and commit to quit today 👉https://t.co/otu6PR8BIp pic.twitter.com/e9QObUQiUL

— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) May 30, 2021

The WHO chief also urged all countries to play their part by joining the WHO campaign and creating tobacco-free environments that give people the information, support and tools they need to quit, and quit for good.

He gave special recognition awards for tobacco control to the Minister of Health and Family Welfare of India, Dr Harsh Vardhan and to the Tobacco Control Research Group at the University of Bath, UK.

“Dr Harsh Vardhan was instrumental in the 2019 national legislation that bans E-cigarettes and heated tobacco products (HTPs) in India,” the WHO said in a statement.

As per WHO, roughly 39 per cent of men and 9 per cent of women use tobacco globally and the highest smoking rates are currently found in Europe at 26 per cent, with projections only showing a 2 per cent decrease by 2025 if urgent government action is not taken.

The Member States of the WHO created World No Tobacco Day in 1987 to draw global attention to the tobacco epidemic and the preventable deaths and diseases it causes.

By Shivam Urkude || Earth Indian