Cut smoking for good of the economy: WHO chief tells Chinese leaders

The head of the World Health Organization, Margaret Chan, has told Chinese leaders there is a “real risk” that China’s economic achievements of the past three decades could be canceled out by the huge burden of coping with diseases linked to smoking, according to a story by Zhuang Pinghui for the South China Morning Post.

Chan urged the Chinese government to strengthen tobacco control “to save huge numbers of lives and to ensure the country has a healthy workforce to continue its development.”

“Every year more than one million people die as a result of tobacco-related illness,” she said. “This is a terrible statistic.”

During a visit to the mainland, Chan met with leaders including Premier Li Keqiang, Health Minister Li Bin and the deputy chairman of the National People’s Congress Chen Zhu.

According to the Post, she said that she had told leaders that tobacco-related illnesses such as cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes would have a devastating impact on the mainland and its workforce.

“You can’t walk properly, you will be so short of breath that you won’t be able to work,” she said.