YEREVAN, MAY 31, NOYAN TAPAN. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 4 mln people die because of smoking every year in the whole world. During the next 25 years this number will reach 10 million. The half of smokers dies because of smoking, smokers lose the 20 years of their life. Alexander Bazarchian, the Coordinator of the Anti-tobacco program of RA Ministry of Health, mentioned this on May 31, at the event dedicated to the world day "Without a Cigarette." He mentioned that currently, 28.4% of population smokes in Armenia. 59.6% of men and 2.1% of women are smokers. According to him, in 1998 these indices made 31%, 63% and 1.5%, respectively. David Petrosian, Chairman of the Human Health fund, said that this year Armenia takes part in the international campaign under the title "Give up Smoking and Win" for the second time. The campaign is held once in every 2 years on the initiative of the World Health Organization and the Public Health Institute of Finland. According to D.Petrosian, the campaign's goal is to give a strong stimulus to all those who have decided to give up smoking long ago but need an additional stimulus. 558 people took part in the national campaign held on May 2-29 in Armenia. They had assumed an obligation to give up smoking within this period. Only 125 of these people "resisted." 2 of them were chosen for taking part in the drawing to be held in Finland within the framework of the international campaign "Give up Smoking and Win." The winners will receive large monetary prizes.

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