14.3  Tobacco use problems

Tobacco products contain the chemical compound nicotine, which is addictive. Other components in tobacco, especially tar, affect the respiratory system and increase the risk of lung cancer and other chronic respiratory problems. People in the rural community of Ethiopia use tobacco through smoking, chewing and putting a bolus of tobacco under the tongue.

Globally about one in three adults smokes i.e. 1.2 billion people. By 2025 the number is expected to rise to more than 1.6 billion, so smoking is clearly a worldwide problem.