Strong tobacco control law a must to prevent cancer

Strong Tobacco Control Law is a must to prevent cancer as tobacco smoke contains approximately 7000 of chemical substances, among which 70 are known to cause or promote cancer.

Research and advocacy organisation PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress) said this on Saturday in a press release ahead of World Cancer Day today (Sunday), reports UNB

Calling Tobacco a major risk factor for cancer, it said these carcinogens are responsible for 12 types of cancer which includes lung cancer, oral cancer and others. Even exposure to second-hand smoke can also cause cancer. Only the adoption and implementation of a strong tobacco control law can prevent the rise in cases of tobacco-induced cancers, it also said.

According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), 2022 alone saw at least 20 million people getting diagnosed with cancer. The deadly disease also claimed a shocking 9.7 million lives in 2022. What underscores the urgency of tobacco control in cancer prevention is the fact that globally lung cancer patients constitute the majority of this newly diagnosed and deceased.