Tobacco Bans Could Prevent 1.2 Million Lung Cancer Deaths, Study Finds

A recent study suggests that implementing tobacco bans could prevent 1.2 million lung cancer deaths worldwide by 2095, Earth.com revealed yesterday.

Researchers from the University of Santiago de Compostela and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) propose prohibiting tobacco sales to individuals born between 2006 and 2010 to create a generation of non-smokers.

Currently, smoking accounts for over two-thirds of the 1.8 million annual lung cancer deaths. The study predicts that nearly half of lung cancer deaths among men and one-third among women in this cohort could be avoided.

While high-income countries have seen declining smoking rates, the impact of tobacco bans could be even greater in low- and middle-income nations, where smoking remains prevalent.

The authors stress the importance of implementing robust tobacco control measures to reduce smoking prevalence and improve global health outcomes, emphasizing that significant lives could be saved through these policies.