Where the smoke is
Global consumption of cigarettes has risen steadily since manufactured cigarettes were introduced at the beginning of the 20th century. While consumption is leveling off and even decreasing in some countries, worldwide more people are smoking. How many smokers are there worldwide?
A. 100 million B. 250 million C. 300 million D. 1.3 billion
A. 100 million is not correct.
Nearly 100 million people died in the 20th century because of tobacco-related illnesses, which are expected to claim the lives of 5 million more people this year.
The World Health Organization projects nearly 10 million tobacco-related deaths per year by 2020, more than from any other health problem. If current trends continue, tobacco will possibly kill 1 billion people in the 21st century.
B. 250 million is not correct.
About 250 million women in the world are daily smokers. Even though stricter control measures have reduced smoking in many developed countries, between 20 percent and 30 percent of women in the European Union still smoke today, compared with 30 percent to 40 percent of men.
In contrast, smoking rates are not declining in many developing countries. The future global trends of cigarette consumption will be determined mainly by developing countries, which will have an increasingly large share of the world's smoking population.
C. 300 million is not correct.
With an estimated 300 million male smokers, equal to the entire population of the United States, China is the world's biggest tobacco market, with annual sales of about 1.8 trillion cigarettes.
While trends show that smoking rates in China have peaked, China will remain a major market for the cigarette industry.
D. 1.3 billion is correct.
There are currently about 1.3 billion smokers worldwide, or about 20 percent of the world's population, according to the World Health Organization.
Smoking kills about one-half of all lifelong users, and by 2020, 70 percent of these deaths will occur in developing countries.
The Globalist Quiz is produced by The Globalist, a Washington- based research organization that promotes awareness of world affairs. © 2006 The Globalist, www.theglobalist.com. 
