World No Tobacco Day 2004: Tobacco Control and Poverty in the European Union

摘要

The World Health Organisation chose the theme 'Tobacco Control and Poverty' for World No Tobacco Day on May 31st, 2004. This was a timely choice as it coincided with the signature and moved towards ratification of the Framework Convention for Tobacco Control (FCTC) in many countries throughout the world. Tobacco remains the single largest cause of preventable death in the world, claiming nearly 5 million lives globally and over 500,000 lives in the former 15 EU Member States (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Sweden) every year. An increasing number of these preventable deaths occurs among the more deprived and less educated segments of the population.