Tobacco consumption kills almost 6 million people each year, and it is expected that by 2030, tobacco consumption will kill 8 million per year if the current global trend of increasing tobacco consumption remains unaddressed. Of these deaths, 600,000 are attributable to second-hand smoke only. Most of these deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries where more than 80% of the world’s one billion smokers reside.
In Mongolia, in 2010, 46.3% of males and 6.8% of females were smokers. This practice was especially dominant among men and urban dwellers and, more so, among the middle-aged (45-54) while also displaying a high prevalence among Mongolian youth (15.5%).
In 2009, 48% of males aged 15 or more in Mongolia consumed tobacco, placing Mongolia among the countries with the highest prevalence of male smokers in the world. Tobacco use is one of the four major risk factors contributing to the global burden of non-communicable disease—the leading cause of mortality in Mongolia.
The Mongolia Mission health department planned several activities for World Health Day. They tried to bring to the community the message that tobacco kills. A 3-kilometer run was planned for the morning. In the afternoon, the health department with the school Pathfinders staged a “No-Tobacco Day Parade,” which started out from the SDA Central Church, complete with a marching band and a senior citizens’ exercise group.