title: Tobacco smoking: the leading cause of preventable disease worldwide.
abstract: Tobacco smoking is the world's leading cause of avoidable premature mortality, reflecting the potent toxicity of tobacco smoke inhaled by smokers for decades. In the twentieth century, lung cancer was an early sentinel of the emergence of the still persisting epidemic of tobacco-caused disease. Smoking has declined in many countries, particularly the high-income countries, but low- and middle-income countries remain at risk because of the aggressive tactics of tobacco multinationals. The World Health Organization treaty, the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, is a critical factor in countering these tactics and precipitating the end of the global epidemic of tobacco smoking.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, USC Institute for Global Health, University of Southern California, 2001 North Soto Street, Suite 330A, MC9239, Los Angeles, CA 90089-9239, USA. jsamet@med.usc.edu
authors.forename: Jonathan M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Samet
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D004194:Disease / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000266:history; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000379:methods; D019460:Tobacco Industry / Q000266:history*; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution