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WHO calls for war on tobacco to include anti-addiction treatment 

Stepping up its campaign against tobacco use, which kills 4.9 million people each year, the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) today urged governments to include anti-addiction treatments as part of comprehensive tobacco control programmes.

Noting that tobacco products are designed to create and maintain dependence, and that many of their constituent compounds are toxic and can cause cancer, WHO stressed that therapies for tobacco dependence can contribute substantially and immediately to health gains.

"There is overwhelming evidence of the health benefits of quitting smoking, and the effectiveness of treating tobacco dependence, which is classified as a disorder," WHO's Director for tobacco control, Vera da Costa e Silva, said as the agency released the policy guidelines at the 12th World Conference on Tobacco or Health in Helsinki, Finland.

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