A total of 1.8 billion youths between the age of 10 and 24 are at the risk of getting cancer and smoking related diseases.
These are the comments from Corrine Capuano, the World Health Organization representative at the launching of the 2008 World No Smoking Day celebrations at the University of the South Pacific.
Speaking at the launching, Doctor Capuano said these youths are at risk due to the careful planning in advertising by tobacco companies and calls for more planning by governments.
However, Director Public Health, Doctor Timaima Tuiketei said a Fiji Global youth survey conducted in 1999 and 2005 showed a decrease in the number of youths smoking in Fiji.
Tuiketei revealed that in 1999 there was 37.2% whereas in 2005 there were 22.1%. However, she added that the fight to decrease these figures will still continue.
Meanwhile, the latest stats from the Ministry of health revealed that 42.7 percent of the people in the country smoke cigarettes on a daily basis.
There is strong evidence that smoking doubles the risk of developing renal cell carcinoma which researchers say is a major contributing factor to cancer.
World No Tobacco Day is this Saturday.
