8mil die from smoking: WHO

ACCORDING to the World Health Organisation (WHO), tobacco consumption is an epidemic claiming some eight million lives yearly.
And 1.2 million of the deaths are non-smokers affected by inhaling secondary smoke.
A joint operation by the Oceania Customs Organisation (OCO) and the WHO, codenamed “Operation EXIT”, was launched last Friday in Fiji, with the hope to shed light on how the region can combat illicit tobacco trade.
Papua New Guinea Chief Commissioner of Customs David Towe said illicit tobacco, contrabands and counterfeits were a major concern OCO.
“Tobacco is a globally traded commodity that attracts a lot of taxes. Illicit tobacco trade is a very lucrative business and we all need to work together to fight it,” he said, adding that the Pacific needed to work together as a united force to check the illicit trade.
OCO head Richard Brennan labelled the issue as a concern for all customs administrations, as the prohibited trade of tobacco not only eroded the revenue base for countries but also a major cause of severe health effects.
Brenan said a regional database would “create a source of information to strengthen the profiling capacity” for customs to act effectively.
“The illegal trade of tobacco products has increased in the Pacific in recent years,” he said. “The most common form being the import of tobacco products.”