Adapted from Balance the Business Life blog – April 25, 2014

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), and is confirmed by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), tobacco could kill one billion people this century. Since the total population is projected to reach about 10 billion by 2100, that’s a considerable percentage of humanity up in smoke, so to speak. The emotional and financial costs associated with these deaths are beyond calculation and comprehension.

The CDC notes that Big Tobacco spends an estimated $23 million per day on advertising and promotion to encourage existing smokers and to hook others. They especially target young men and women and folks in less-developed nations, who have limited or no resources to counterbalance their intense and constant advertising blitz.

According to CDC statistics, tobacco is the leading cause of preventable deaths globally, about 6 million each year and projected to increase to 8 million by 2030.

What can we do about this? The Kansas Health Foundation is sponsoring a Tobacco Summit on Wednesday, May 28 in partnership with Tobaccco Free Wichita Coalition and Tobaccco Free Kansas Coalition. It is not too late to REGISTER! Attend this FREE summit and learn ways to combat tobacco advertising and get a chance to speak to policy makers and local funders.