Daily Trust - the online edition

The World Health Organisation (WHO), yesterday in Abuja raised alarm over the growing number of youths hooked on to tobacco.

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Mason spoke at an international conference on investing in young people.

"If the pattern of tobacco use seen today continues, a lifetime of tobacco use would result in the death of 250 million people alive today, most of them in developing countries,’’ she said.

Mason also said apart from tobacco, road traffic accidents were another major leading cause of death among young people.

"These health issues prevalent among young people require different responses; for road traffic, modification of the road environment and for tobacco, advertising bans and price increases on tobacco,’’ she said.

The WHO director said policy makers in the past focused on why young people were involved in some habits without giving attention to solutions to such behaviours.

The health realities facing young people, she said, has presented a platform for policy makers to rise to the challenge of protecting their future. (NAN)