The World Health Organisation (WHO) says no fewer than 146 million Africans die annually from tobacco-related diseases.
The body also revealed that the use of tobacco products other than cigarettes, such as vaporizers like shisha, was on the increase in Africa.
WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, disclosed on Thursday during a virtual press conference.
The WHO boss maintained that smoking damages nearly every organ in the body, further said tobacco was the leading cause of preventable deaths in the world.
He also said that globally, exposure to secondhand smoke kills more than 1.2 million people yearly.
While advising smokers, Moeti said, “Decide to live a life controlled by you and not tobacco.
“It may seem impossible, or like smoking isn’t a big deal. But what you don’t do today may end up causing future health problems or, worse, premature death,” Moeti said.
According to her, one in five adolescents in Africa now used tobacco, saying “this must change. Quit smoking and be a part of the solution.”
