Bloomberg charity pledges $220 million to combat 'scourge' of smoking

Reuters reports — Michael Bloomberg's charitable foundation will commit $220 million over the next four years to fight tobacco use globally, including for the funding of legal challenges against the industry.

Calling tobacco "a scourge all over the world" and accusing cigarette makers of "nefarious activities," the New York City mayor said at a news conference that his foundation will focus on low and moderate-income countries where nearly 80 percent of smokers live, like Russia, China, India, Indonesia and Bangladesh.

Smoking could kill about 1 billion people this century, authors of the fourth edition of the Tobacco Atlas said at the book's launch in Singapore on Wednesday. The book is published by the American Cancer Society and World Lung Foundation. Continue reading.