[Intl-tobacco] Check out new WHO Tobacco Atlas

[Robert Weissman]

U.N. Health Agency Offers Global View of Tobacco Use
(Publication seen as tool for strengthening anti-tobacco policy) (510)

The World Health Organization (WHO) has released a world atlas of a
different sort. The geography of tobacco and its use is graphically
presented in the new publication, providing country-by-country data on a
smoking epidemic that kills 560 people every hour.

As tobacco use increases all over the world, according to a WHO October
16 press release, the atlas will help policymakers better develop
tobacco policy and regulation.

Jointly produced with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, the atlas covers issues such as the conduct
of tobacco companies, the demographics of tobacco use, the costs of
smoking, and illicit trade.

Following is the text of the WHO press release:

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION

WHO Atlas Maps Global Tobacco epidemic

Tobacco kills 560 people every hour or 13,400 people per day or 4.9
million people per annum. This death and disease toll spares no nations
and no people. WHO's new Tobacco Atlas presents a visual view of this
galloping worldwide epidemic. The Atlas provides detailed data from
countries on the differences and similarities of the global tobacco
control struggle. The comparative data shows that action - or inaction -
of one country can affect the work of another.

"The Tobacco Atlas highlights, in an educational and creative fashion,
diverse features of this important global epidemic," said Dr Gro Harlem
Brundtland, Director-General, World Health Organization. "Its simple
presentation of complex epidemiological and statistical information
allows everybody to understand the facts and use them effectively."

The Atlas is being promoted as a tool for policy makers as they seek to
formulate national and international regulations on tobacco control.
Tobacco consumption is increasing all over the world and will kill 8.4
million people a year-by-year 2020 if drastic control measures are not
put into effect. One in two of today's young smokers will die from
tobacco-related causes. The developing countries will bear the brunt of
the death toll, accounting for over 70 percent of the projected deaths.

The Tobacco Atlas, produced in collaboration with the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, U.S.A., provides a
unique statistical profile of the epidemic. Visual presentations, such
as colour maps and graphics, make thousands of statistics spring to life
on a variety of tobacco issues. Among the presentations are similarities
and differences between countries, the conduct of the tobacco companies,
gender differences in tobacco consumption, investments by tobacco
industry, the costs of tobacco use and illicit trade and litigation.

"Action taken today will determine the reality of tomorrow. The Atlas is
a valuable resource in fighting the tobacco epidemic," said Dr Judith
Mackay, author of the Atlas and Senior Policy Advisor to the Tobacco
Free Initiative of the World Health Organization. The co-author of the
Atlas is Dr Michael Eriksen, former Director of the U.S. Office on
Smoking and Health and current consultant at the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention.

The Tobacco Atlas comes at a time when WHO's Member States meet in
Geneva for the fifth round of negotiations on the proposed Framework
Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). The Convention is scheduled to be
ready by May 2003.
(end text)

(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

------------

Here's the table of contents for the new WHO tobacco atlas, and links to
each chapter.

The Tobacco Atlas - WHO/TFI
http://www5.who.int/tobacco/page.cfm?sid=3D84

October 2002

The Tobacco Atlas
http://www5.who.int/tobacco/repository/stp84/title.pdf
Foreword
Dr Gro Harlem Brundtland,
Director-General, World Health Organization
Preface
Acknowledgments
Photo Credits
About the Authors

1  The History of Tobacco
The global spread of tobacco from the Americas to the rest of the world.
Historical highlights of key events and action taken to curb the
epidemic.
http://www5.who.int/tobacco/repository/stp84/18%20Map%201%20History%20of%20=
Tobacco.pdf

Part One: PREVALENCE AND HEALTH
http://www5.who.int/tobacco/repository/stp84/PART1-Prevalence-and-Health.jp=
g

2  Types of Tobacco Use
Different forms of smoking and other forms of tobacco, including
cigarettes, pipes, bidis, kreteks.
http://www5.who.int/tobacco/repository/stp84/02%20TYPES%20OF%20TOBACCO%20US=
E.pdf

3  Male Smoking
Smoking prevalence among men. Trends in selected countries. Smoking
among physicians. Top 10 countries. Tobacco industry quote.
http://www5.who.int/tobacco/repository/stp84/24%20Map%203%20Male%20Smoking.=
pdf

4  Female Smoking
Smoking prevalence among women. Trends in selected countries. Where
women smoke as much as men. Where men smoke ten times as much as women.
Tobacco industry quote.
http://www5.who.int/tobacco/repository/stp84/26%20Map%204%20Female%20Smokin=
g.pdf

5  Youth
Tobacco use prevalence among male and female youth. Passive smoking.
Youth perception of smoking. Tobacco industry quotes.
http://www5.who.int/tobacco/repository/stp84/28%20Map%205%20Youth.pdf

6  Cigarette Consumption
Annual cigarette consumption per person. Top 5 countries. Global
increases from 1880 to 2000. Increases in the average number of
cigarettes smoked in China between 1952 and 1996.
http://www5.who.int/tobacco/repository/stp84/30%20Map%206%20Cig.%20Consumpt=
ion.pdf

7  Health Risks
How smoking harms you. Smoking in pregnancy. Deadly chemicals.
Proportion of lung cancer, COPD and ischaemic heart disease. Tobacco
industry quotes.
http://www5.who.int/tobacco/repository/stp84/32%20Map%207%20Health.pdf

8  Passive Smoking
Harm caused by passive smoking. Children exposed to passive smoking.
Numbers affected by passive smoking. Tobacco industry quotes.
http://www5.who.int/tobacco/repository/stp84/34%20Map%208%20Passive%20Smoki=
ng.pdf

9  Deaths
Deaths from tobacco use in men and women. Dying in your prime: 35- to
69-year-olds who die from tobacco. Past and future deaths from tobacco:
1950 to 2030. Deaths in developed and developing countries. Number of
people alive today who will eventually die from tobacco. Tobacco
industry quote.
http://www5.who.int/tobacco/repository/stp84/36%20Map%209%20Deaths.pdf

Part Two: THE COSTS OF TOBACCO
http://www5.who.int/tobacco/repository/stp84/PART-2-The-Costs-of-Tobacco.jp=
g

10  Costs to the Economy
Health care costs attributable to tobacco. Working days lost due to
tobacco. Costs of fires and litter collection. Tobacco industry quotes.
http://www5.who.int/tobacco/repository/stp84/10%20Costs%20to%20the%20econom=
y.pdf

11  Costs to the Smoker
Cost of a pack of Marlboro cigarettes or equivalent international brand.
Minutes of labour worked to buy a packet of cigarettes. The cost of a
pack of Marlboro cigarettes or equivalent international brand compared
with food or clothing.
http://www5.who.int/tobacco/repository/stp84/42%20Map11%20Costs%20to%20smok=
er.pdf

Part Three: THE TOBACCO TRADE
http://www5.who.int/tobacco/repository/stp84/PART-3-The-Tobacco-Trade.jpg

12 Growing Tobacco
Land devoted to growing tobacco by country. Leading producers of tobacco
leaves. Deforestation due to tobacco.
http://www5.who.int/tobacco/repository/stp84/12%20Growing%20Tobacco.pdf

13  Manufacturing Tobacco
Number of tobacco workers by country. Where the tobacco dollar goes.
Less tobacco per cigarette. Additives.
http://www5.who.int/tobacco/repository/stp84/13%20MANUFACTURING%20TOBACCO.p=
df

14  Tobacco Companies
Leading manufacturers by country. The Big Five: revenue and market share
of leading transnational tobacco companies. Tobacco industry quote.
http://www5.who.int/tobacco/repository/stp84/50%20Map%2014%20Tobacco%20Comp=
anies.pdf

15  Tobacco Trade
Cigarette exports by country. Top 10 cigarette importers. Top 10 leaf
importers and exporters. US import and export of tobacco leaves and
cigarettes.
http://www5.who.int/tobacco/repository/stp84/52%20Map15%20Tobacco%20Trade.p=
df

16  Smuggling
Estimated smuggled cigarettes as a percentage of domestic sales. Major
recent or current smuggling routes. Global smuggling. Tackling tobacco
smuggling in the UK: projected percentage of market share if action is
or is not taken. Lost revenue in EU. Tobacco industry quote.
http://www5.who.int/tobacco/repository/stp84/54%20Map16%20Smuggling.pdf

Part Four: PROMOTION
http://www5.who.int/tobacco/repository/stp84/PART-4-Promotion.jpg

17  Tobacco Industry Promotion
Most popular cigarette brand by country. World=92s most popular brands.
How the advertising dollar is spent in the USA. Changes in cigarette
marketing expenditure. Tobacco industry quote.
http://www5.who.int/tobacco/repository/stp84/58%20Map17%20Industry%20Promo.=
pdf

18  Internet Sales
Internet sales. Internet search for sites. Internet cigarette vendors in
the USA. Test ordering from 12 websites. HM Customs and Excise quote.
User comment posted on website.
http://www5.who.int/tobacco/repository/stp84/60%20Map18%20Internet%20Sales.=
pdf

19  Politics
Buying influence: expenditure on lobbying in the USA. Buying favours:
tobacco companies=92 contributions to federal candidates in the USA.
Tobacco industry quotes.
http://www5.who.int/tobacco/repository/stp84/62%20Map19%20Politics.pdf

20  Smokers=B4 Rights Organisations
Location of smokers=92 rights groups worldwide. Tobacco industry quotes.
http://www5.who.int/tobacco/repository/stp84/64%20Map%2020%20Smokers%20righ=
ts.pdf

21  Tobacco Industry Documents
Number of documents found on the Legacy website by country. Tobacco
industry quotes.
http://www5.who.int/tobacco/repository/stp84/66%20Map%2021%20Tobacco%20Ind.=
%20Docs.pdf

Part Five: TAKING ACTION
http://www5.who.int/tobacco/repository/stp84/PART-5-Taking-Action.jpg

22  Research
Global Youth Tobacco Surveys completed by country.  Current foundation
grant recipients. Comparative National Institute of Health expenditure
on tobacco compared with other health problems. Published research:
PubMed search for tobacco compared with other journal topics. Journals
devoted to tobacco control.
http://www5.who.int/tobacco/repository/stp84/70%20Map%2022%20Research.pdf

23  Tobacco Control Organisations
WHO, international and regional tobacco control organisations.
Locations of all World Conferences. Tobacco industry quote.
http://www5.who.int/tobacco/repository/stp84/72%20Map%2023%20Tobacco%20cont=
rol.pdf

24  Legislation: Smoke-free Areas
Where smoking is prohibited or restricted in some areas at work, and
where employers voluntarily prohibit or restrict smoking. Sales before
and after smoking bans in restaurants and bars in California. Nicotine
concentration in public places in Barcelona, Spain. The cost of
workplace smoking. Tobacco industry quote.
http://www5.who.int/tobacco/repository/stp84/74%20Map%2024%20Smoke-free%20A=
reas.pdf

25  Legislation: Advertising Bans
Increases and decreases in adult cigarette consumption, and countries
with comprehensive advertising bans in the same period. Effect of
advertising bans. Tobacco industry quotes.
http://www5.who.int/tobacco/repository/stp84/76%20Map%2025%20Advertising%20=
Bans.pdf

26  Legislation: Health Warnings
Where health warnings are required by law. Impact on smokers of Canadian
warnings. Public support for visible health warnings. Tobacco industry
quote.
http://www5.who.int/tobacco/repository/stp84/26%20HEALTH%20WARNINGS.pdf

27  Health Education
World No Tobacco Day: participating countries, and themes from 1988 to
2002. Quit & Win campaigns. Tobacco industry quotes.
http://www5.who.int/tobacco/repository/stp84/80%20Map%2027%20Health%20Educa=
tion.pdf

28  Quitting
Percentages of ex-smokers. Quitting calendar: the benefits of stopping
smoking. Effects on deaths if smokers quit. Effect of smoking
restrictions at home and at work. Impact of interventions on quitting.
http://www5.who.int/tobacco/repository/stp84/82%20Map%2028%20Quitting.pdf

29  Price Policy
Tobacco tax as a proportion of cigarette price. Cigarette price
increases compared with consumption in the UK. Government income from
tobacco. Cigarette tax as a proportion of price in the USA. Tobacco
industry quote.
http://www5.who.int/tobacco/repository/stp84/84%20Map%2029%20Price%20Policy=
.pdf

30  Litigation
Legal action against the tobacco industry: personal injury, public
interest, non-smokers=92
and government lawsuits. Cases brought by the tobacco industry.
Smuggling litigation. Tobacco industry quote.
http://www5.who.int/tobacco/repository/stp84/86%20Map%2030%20Litigation.pdf

31  Projections by Industry
Projected rates of growth and decline of tobacco consumption by country
1998-2008. Regional projections.
http://www5.who.int/tobacco/repository/stp84/88%20Map%2031%20Projections.pd=
f

32  The Future
Epidemiology, health, economics, the tobacco industry, action taken
projected to 2050.
http://www5.who.int/tobacco/repository/stp84/90%20Map%2032%20The%20Future.p=
df

Part Six: WORLD TABLES
http://www5.who.int/tobacco/repository/stp84/PART-6-World-Tables.jpg

Table A:  The Demographics of Tobacco
Population. Adult prevalence. Youth smoking. Youth exposed to passive
smoking. Cigarette consumption. Quitting.
http://www5.who.int/tobacco/repository/stp84/table-a.pdf

Table B:  The Business of Tobacco
Land area devoted to growing tobacco; quantity produced. Number of
tobacco workers; number of cigarettes manufactured. Cigarette imports
and exports; tobacco leaf imports and exports. Cost of a pack of Malboro
cigarettes or equivalent international brand; minutes of labour needed
to buy a pack of cigarettes. Tax as a proportion of cigarette price;
tobacco tax revenues as a percentage of total tax revenue. Tobacco
industry documents.
http://www5.who.int/tobacco/repository/stp84/table-b.pdf

Glossary - Sources - Useful Contacts - Index
http://www5.who.int/tobacco/repository/stp84/glossary.pdf