Replying to a Parliamentary Question by Labour MP Carmelo Abela, Mr Dalli said that 260 men and 112 women died due to smoking-related causes in 2008. A further 113 Maltese residents, 78 men and 35 women, died in the first 3 months of 2009.

The 2007 Lifestyle Survey, issued by the National Statistics Organisation, shows that 33.5 per cent of adult males and 19.4 per cent of adult females smoke in Malta.

According to the World Health Organisation, tobacco – “the only legal consumer product that kills when used exactly as intended by the manufacturer” – is the second major cause of death in the world, responsible for around 5 million deaths each year. If current smoking patterns continue, tobacco is expected to cause around 10 million deaths annually by 2020.

“Half the people that smoke today – that is about 650 million people – will eventually be killed by tobacco,” the WHO ominously warns.

Smoking leads most commonly to diseases affecting the heart and lungs, exacerbating the risk of heart attacks, strokes, emphysema and lung cancer, among others.

The WHO also notes that tobacco use has devastating economic effects. In addition to public health costs, it can also deprive families of breadwinners, and decrease productivity among smokers due to increased sickness.

It recommends a number of public policies to reduce consumption, including bans on advertising, taxes, public smoking bans and the mandatory use of dramatic, pictorial health warnings on tobacco packs.

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