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Report says about 90 percent of Africans not protected by smoke-free laws 

As African nations are poised to undergo the highest increase in the rate of tobacco use among developing countries, nearly 90 percent of people on the continent remain without meaningful protection from secondhand smoke, according to a new report released on Wednesday.

The report, "Global Voices: Rebutting the Tobacco Industry, Winning Smokefree Air," pointed to signs of hope, however.

Several African countries are fighting against the tobacco industry's aggressive efforts to stop public health interventions by putting smoke-free laws into place, protecting more than 100 million more people since 2007.

The report was published by the multi-partner Global Smokefree Partnership.

"For the first time in history, we have the tools in hand to prevent a pandemic," said Dr. Otis W. Brawley, the chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society.

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For the first time in history, we have the tools in hand to prevent a pandemic.
Dr. Otis W. Brawley, the chief medical officer of the American Cancer Societym, on the release of "Global Voices: Rebutting the Tobacco Industry, Winning Smokefree Air.".