According to the World Health Organization smoking is the largest preventable factor in premature death, disability, and disease. Tobacco causes more deaths than all other forms of substance abuse combined. Persistent smokers have a one in two chance of eventually being killed by cigarettes. This translates into 340 million men and 45 million women who smoke. There are three-quarters of a million deaths each year in China caused by tobacco.
China produces four times as much tobacco as the next largest producer, the United States.
It employs 10 million tobacco farmers, half a million industry workers, and 3 million retailers. In January 1999 British American Tobacco announced a merger with Rothmans International. Both these companies produce 1 trillion cigarettes annually. Clearly, tobacco is a global epidemic. Governments in developed countries are combating tobacco use and addiction by passing laws setting a minimum age, restricting smoking in public places, limiting advertising and product display, and requiring health warnings to accompany tobacco products.