Why South Africa needs to up the ante against smoking again

Worldwide more than 1 billion people consume tobacco and each year about 6 million people die prematurely from tobacco-related illnesses. These are primarily because of heart attacks, strokes, lung diseases and a range of cancers. This number is expected to increase to 8 million by 2030 if current trends continue. And low and middle income countries are increasingly bearing the brunt of this tragic and unnecessary human and economic loss. Why South Africa needs to up the ante against smoking again