Kudos to Michael Bloomberg for funding a $125 million initiative to reduce tobacco use. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), tobacco is the world leading killer, causing more than 5 million deaths each year. If smoking patterns continue, by the year 2020, tobacco will kill about 10 million people a year. It’s important for parents to know that smoking has been implicated in Sudden Infant Death.
In addition to the CDC Foundation, grant recipients include the World Health Organization (WHO), the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, the World Lung Foundation, and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

The CDC Foundation in collaboration with the WHO will conduct systematic surveys to monitor global tobacco use among adults. The data will be used as a foundation to guide programming and will improve public awareness.

For more information about the initiative, visit Freedom from Smoking. If you live in NYC please let Michael Bloomberg know that his efforts are appreciated.