It is an honour for me to add my words of welcome to you to this celebration of World No-Tobacco Day 1995. My words of thanks to the conference organizers for deciding to showcase the celebration of World No-Tobacco Day 1995 in this landmark conference Child Health 2000.
It's long been recognized that use of tobacco causes more deaths than all the other drugs of abuse combined. And as you have heard, WHO estimates that there are currently three million deaths caused by tobacco every year and the problem will not go away by itself. Moreover, there are many other problems that arise when young people misuse drugs. Problems that are also related to tobacco use. Therefore, for interventions to be coherent and effective, all substance use and abuse issues covering both licit and illicit substance use need to be addressed, and be addressed together. WHO does exactly this. It is the only office in the UN system to do so. The mandate of our program is wide, with research, training and program activities ranging across prevention, health promotion, policy and advocacy, treatment and rehabilitation and regulatory control. But with regard to tobacco, our highest priority is clear, and that is primary prevention. Dr. Nakajima and Dr. Hu Ching-Li have eloquently described the comprehensive approaches of primary prevention that are needed if we are to be successful in slowing the progress of the tobacco epidemic. I wish to add only one more thought about the public health benefits of effective policies of comprehensive tobacco control.
There is clear evidence that tobacco is all too often the gateway through which young people pass on their way to the use of other drugs, and this happens at a very young age. As we heard from Dr. Shalala, few smokers really begin daily smoking after the age of nineteen. And we have been informed that in the United States, it's been estimated that 12-17 year daily cigarette smokers are 14 times more likely to have binged on alcohol, 32 times more likely to be frequent cocaine users and 114 times more likely to be frequent marijuana users. Compared to their peers who never smoked. The numbers may differ but there is every reason to believe that tobacco use is a significant gateway to other drug use in other countries as well. The statistics are compelling. The key to all substance abuse prevention, is the prevention of tobacco use. Adolescents who never start smoking tobacco will be far less likely to embark on other forms of substance abuse. These days we hear a lot about the global war on drugs and how, despite enormous efforts to control the supply of illicit drugs, illicit drug traffic and illicit drug consumption do not disappear. WHO recognizes that this is a war that will benefit from strong and effective programs of primary prevention of tobacco use. Of course, preventing tobacco use is neither quick or easy. And it's far less dramatic than seizing drugs from international smugglers. In the long run however, the global wars on tobacco use and drug abuse will be won by us the foot soldiers of public health. Plugging away at building effective, comprehensive policies of tobacco and drug control, with a focus on primary prevention.
WHO will certainly be doing all it can and we hope we can count on your support. We know we can count on the support of Canada. And I'm pleased to announce here, that Canada has recently made a major contribution to WHO's work to slow the progress of the tobacco epidemic. Health Canada has funded a three-year WHO project, entitled "A Global Approach to Strengthening Tobacco Control". And last week, a regional secretariat at the WHO collaborating centre in Warsaw was established to carry out the Eastern and Central European component of this project. Priority has been given to this region that has both the highest rates of tobacco consumption and the highest rates of tobacco caused mortality in the whole world today. Madame Marleau, we are very grateful indeed to you for the strong support you and Canada have given to WHO in providing funding for this important international tobacco control project. And we hope that this example set by Canada will be followed by other nations.
We have with us today, to help us celebrate on World No-Tobacco Day, a number of distinguished personalities who have merited by their outstanding work in tobacco control, a WHO "Tobacco or Health" commemorative award. As a world statesman, Mr. Nelson Mandela, President of the Republic of South Africa, has demonstrated outstanding leadership towards the obtainment of a tobacco-free environment. He has promoted non-smoking through his personal example, his government has adopted tobacco control legislation and his pro-health messages have been heard and disseminated by health advocacy organizations. For this and other reasons, President Mandela has been selected to receive this recognition. The Honourable Minister of Health of South Africa, Dr. Nukisana Zuma, will accept the medal on behalf of his excellency, President Nelson Mandela.