- It is estimated that every year 8 million people die as a result of tobacco addiction.
- Smoking increases poverty because households spend money on tobacco that could be spent on basic needs such as food and shelter.
- Among smokers who try to quit, only 4% succeed.
When it comes to serious health problems there are no distinctions between socioeconomic levels. Everyone is at risk and even more so when talking about Addiction to tobacco who has among his followers several famous and celebrities. Although in some cases it has been a deadly habit that has led to the death of personalities.
A big problem
To begin with, the World Health Organization (WHO) states that tobacco epidemic is one of the greatest threats to public health that the world has had to face. As part of its consequences, it is the cause of eight million deaths a year, of which approximately 1.2 million are due to exposure to second-hand smoke.
More than 80% of the 1.3 billion people who use tobacco live in low- or middle-income countries, where the morbidity and mortality burden associated with this product is highest. Smoking increases poverty because households spend money on tobacco that could be spent on basic needs such as food and housing.
Tobacco use has an enormous economic cost, including the high health costs of treating the diseases it causes and the loss of human capital due to its morbidity and mortality.
When tobacco users become aware of the dangers of tobacco, most of them want to quit. However, the nicotine contained in tobacco products is highly addictive, and without support to quit smoking, only 4% of users who try to quit tobacco succeed. Professional support and proven medication can more than double the chances of success in quitting tobacco.
A quite popular vice among celebrities
In this sense, throughout recent history there have been various cases of celebrities with a tobacco addiction so strong that it was one of the causes of his death. Such is the case of the American businessman Walt Disney, founder of what is today one of the most powerful entertainment companies in the world.
Based on the testimonies, from a very young age he developed a taste for tobacco. He smoked unfiltered cigarettes and also a pipe every day. In November 1966 he was diagnosed with lung cancer and cobalt therapy was applied. The progression of the tumor was so rapid that a year later he died as a result of circulatory failure.
A very similar case occurred with Mario Moreno “Cantinflas”, remembered for being one of the most famous Mexican comedians of the 20th century. It is quite likely that most know him from his movies, but what few know is that he was one of the famous with a severe addiction to tobacco.
Those who knew him affirm that every day he smoked at least a couple of packs a day. The consequence was the development of lung cancer. Although regardless of the indications of the doctors, he continued with his habit to pass away in 1993.