According to the "Mortality attributable to tobacco report" released by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Tuesday, over five million people die each year from a cause that can be attributed to tobacco (smoking and smokeless).

The report provides information by country on the proportion of adult (age 30 years and above) deaths attributable to tobacco by major communicable and non-communicable causes by age and sex, using mortality data for 2004. It states that, globally, 5 per cent of all deaths from communicable diseases, and 14 per cent of all deaths from non-communicable diseases among adults aged 30 years and over were attributable to tobacco. It can be viewed here. (pi)