Iraj Abedian

Tobacco use in developing countries has reached epidemic proportions, causing an increase in tobacco-related diseases and deaths worldwide, Iraj Abedian contends in the following viewpoint. He argues that over eighty thousand young people become addicted to tobacco each day and that the majority of them live in developing countries. Further, over the next thirty years, tobacco use is likely to become the single largest cause of death throughout the world. Iraj Abedian is a professor of economics and director of the Applied Fiscal Research Center at the University of Cape Town, South Africa.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. According to the author, what0percentage of the world’s smokers live in poorer nations?
2. What three internal factors does Iraj Abedian argue are responsible for the rise in smoking in developing...