Health officials marked World No Tobacco Day on Sunday in Taiwan by releasing some alarming statistics. Health Promotion Administration (HPA) Director Chiou Shu-ti said that smoking causes about 20,000 deaths in Taiwan each year. That’s about one smoking-related death every 25 minutes.
Statistics show that the economic costs of smoking account for more than one percent (1.06%) of the nation’s GDP. And each year, national health insurance covers nearly US$1.6 billion (NT$50 billion) in smoking-related health care costs.
For World No Tobacco Day 2015, the World Health Organization has called on countries to work together to end the illicit trade in tobacco products.
Taiwan’s Health Promotion Admistration has a toll-free hotline for people looking to quit smoking. Chiou said that the hotline, which is the first of its kind in Asia, has helped 50,000 people quit smoking since it was set up in 2003. If you are in Taiwan, you can access the hotline at: 0800-636363.
Chiou said that although less than 5% of people can quit using willpower alone, professional help can double the rate of success.