Note: World Lung Foundation united with The Union North America. From January 2016, the combined organization is known as “Vital Strategies.”
(New York, NY) – World Lung Foundation (WLF) released the following statement on World Cancer Day, 2010:
“Lung cancer is the most preventable form of cancer,” said Dr. Neil Schluger, Chief Scientific Officer, World Lung Foundation. “According to the World Health Organization, 1.3 million people will die of lung cancer this year. The vast majority these deaths will be caused by use of tobacco and by exposure to secondhand smoke.
We have no cure for lung cancer but, unlike other cancers, we know how to stop lung cancer from occurring. In fact, the WHO has prescribed a set of clear steps governments can take to significantly reduce the number of people that die from tobacco use. By raising tobacco taxes, creating 100% smoke-free public places, banning tobacco advertising and marketing and warning people about the dangers of tobacco, we can save a billion lives this century.
World Lung Foundation is committed to working with governments and civil society to put such measures into place. We urge political and public health leaders to take action now.”