GENEVA, May 30 /PRNewswire/ --

G-20 leaders pledged to provide the International Monetary Fund with $500billion to help struggling economies, sparking global controversy. Yetstartling research shows that the combined costs of tobacco-related death andrelated productivity losses, healthcare expenditures, employee absenteeism,and widespread environmental harm are responsible for draining the sameamount - $500 billion - from the global economy each year and it receivesmuch less attention than it deserves.

In recognition of World No Tobacco Day on 31st May, the World HeartFederation insists on bringing more attention to the impact of tobacco onhealth and disease. Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death andis closely linked to cardiovascular disease, which is the leading cause ofdeath worldwide. In 2010, it is estimated that six million people will diefrom the effects of tobacco - more than from HIV/AIDS, malaria andtuberculosis combined - and nearly three-quarters (72%) will be in low- andmiddle-income countries. Using tobacco causes clogging of the arteries, heartdisease, stroke, sudden death and heart failure.

Dr. Pekka Puska, President of the World Heart Federation stated: "Thisyear we embrace the WHO theme of tobacco health warnings and demand that thetobacco industry display pictorial warnings on all tobacco packages in orderto clearly and effectively communicate tobacco's deadly consequences."

Studies show that pictorial warnings work: they effectively motivateusers to quit and reduce the appeal of tobacco for those who are not yetaddicted. The World Heart Federation supports its members around the world toadvocate for pictorial labeling, working with Ministries of Health, the mediaand businesses. But 9 out of 10 people live in countries that do not requirewarnings with pictures on tobacco packages.

One successful example is in the Caribbean. Debbie Chen, ExecutiveDirector of the Heart Foundation of Jamaica, coordinates a coalition ofpartners, which includes the Heart and Stroke Foundation of the Barbados andthe InterAmerican Heart Foundation, with a Bloomberg Award grant for GlobalTobacco Control. She said: "We were convinced that labeling could help uswhen we read research from other countries. We have accelerated the processin the region and are determining which warnings will have the strongestimpact in four Caribbean countries."

Worldwide, tobacco control is one of the simplest ways to reducecardiovascular disease; in low-resource settings its feasibility andcost-effectiveness only magnifies its importance.

About World No Tobacco Day and Warnings

To know more about the World No Tobacco Day, and download toolkits,please visit: http://www.who.int/tobacco/wntd/2009. To know more about the Framework Convention, please visit: http://www.fctc.org. To know more about countries that are working on ensuring tobacco products have pictorial labels, please visit: http://www.tobaccolabels.

About the World Heart Federation

The World Heart Federation, a nongovernmental organization based inGeneva, Switzerland, is committed to helping the global population achieve alonger and better life through prevention and control of heart disease andstroke, with a particular focus on low- and middle-income countries. It iscomprised of 198 member societies of cardiology and heart foundations fromover 100 countries covering the regions of Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Americasand Africa.

For further information on World Heart Federation visit:http://www.worldheart.org

References: - The Tobacco Atlas, Third Edition, March 2009, http://www.TobaccoAtlas.org - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The health consequences of smoking: A report of the Surgeon General, http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/Data_statistics/sgr/sgr_2004/index.htm - Oxford Health Alliance, http://www.oxha.org - Tobacco Free Initiative, World Health Organization, http://www.who.int/tobacco/en/index.html

For media enquiries please contact: Katy Davidson, email: kdavidson@webershandwick.com, tel: +44-207-067-0205