The United Nations sought on Wednesday to defuse industry and government opposition to its anti-smoking proposals, saying the number of smokers in the world would increase even if the health campaign met its most optimistic goals.
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said the number of smokers would grow to 1.34 billion around the world by 2050 from the current 1.28 billion–due to normal population growth–even if anti-tobacco drives enjoy a “formidable success” and persuade 1% of smokers a year to quit.
“As the absolute number of smokers grows…this will ensure a large enough market to keep the current generation of tobacco farmers in business,” Annan said in a new report to the UN Economic and Social Council.
The World Health Organization and its 191 member nations have been working for years on a Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, designed to curb the spread of tobacco-related disease.
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