Can the world go tobacco-free by 2040?

London, March 13: Public health researchers have called for the sale of tobacco to be phased out by 2040, showing that with sufficient political support, a tobacco-free world could be possible in less than three decades. Health and policy experts have called on the United tions to lead a “turbo-charged” effort against the sale and consumption of tobacco. One billion deaths from smoking and other forms of tobacco use are expected by the end of this century if efforts to tackle tobacco use are not accelerated.

“A world where tobacco is out of sight, out of mind, and out of fashion - yet not prohibited - is achievable in less than three decades from now, but only with full commitment from governments, intertiol agencies, such as UN and WHO, and civil society,” said professor Robert Beaglehole from the University of Auckland, New Zealand. (IANS)