Four most dangerous substances named

At least a third of deaths worldwide are caused by just four substances, a leading British scientist has claimed. These are tobacco, alcohol, fossil fuels and food, according to Professor Anne Gilmore, head of the Centre for 21st Century Public Health at the University of Bath.

"The easiest way to see this is to look at the extent of the damage caused by four products: tobacco, fossil fuels, alcohol and food," Anna Gilmore told El Pais. "We estimate that these four products alone are responsible for between one and two thirds of all deaths worldwide."

In 2021, 19 million of the world's 56 million deaths were caused by these four products alone, the Daily Mail reports. Tobacco tops the list of the deadliest products. It alone caused 16% of all deaths in 2021, killing more than nine million people.

However, Professor Gilmore warns that the dangers of these products remain poorly understood.

1. Tobacco: According to one global study, smoking, chewing tobacco, and secondhand smoke together kill more people than any other product.

"Two out of three smokers will eventually die from smoking. It's very risky," warns Professor Gilmore. "Would they jump off a high floor of a building? No, because it's too risky. But smoking tends to start young, when the risks are not fully understood."

Smoking tobacco increases the risk of cancer, heart attacks, high blood pressure, strokes, blood clots and respiratory diseases, the Daily Mail continues.

Every year, tobacco causes 20% of deaths from non-communicable diseases, which are not spread from person to person. In Europe, a study co-authored by Professor Gilmore found that tobacco causes 1.15 million deaths a year, or 10% of the total.

Professor Gilmore, an expert on the dangers of smoking, said: "Smoking is highly addictive. And we know that cigarettes are manipulated by tobacco companies to make them addictive."

Professor Gilmore adds that she would advise smokers to "do everything they can to quit".

2. Alcohol. Alcohol consumption is also associated with an exceptionally high number of deaths worldwide. Every year, 2.44 million people die worldwide due to alcohol consumption. This represents 4.3% of all deaths and 4.4% of all deaths due to non-communicable diseases. Alcohol also causes a disproportionate number of deaths due to accidents and injuries.

An estimated seven percent of all injury-related deaths are related to alcohol consumption.

3. Food. Perhaps surprisingly, food is an even more common cause of premature death than alcohol. In 2021, 5.4% of all deaths worldwide were due to “dietary risk,” equivalent to more than three million deaths. This includes risks associated with eating foods high in processed meat, sodium, “sweetened beverages,” and trans fatty acids.

Most deaths are due to diets high in salt, followed by diets high in processed meat, the Daily Mail notes.

In Europe, where more detailed data are available, 2.27% of all deaths were caused by eating too much salt, while 1.06% were linked to processed meat.

An unhealthy diet is one of the main risk factors for chronic diseases. Poor diet or obesity increases the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, strokes and some cancers.

However, despite the well-documented risks associated with poor diet, Professor Gilmore says foods are being "manipulated to make them increasingly desirable, almost addictive".

4. Fossil Fuels: Despite the well-documented risks of climate change, fossil fuels are already causing significant increases in mortality. This is because particulate air pollution from burning fossil fuels poses serious health risks. Long-term exposure to air pollution leads to increased rates of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, as well as lung cancer.

Fossil fuel air pollution is estimated to have caused 4.5 million deaths in 2021, but other estimates are much higher.

A recent study found that air pollution causes 8.34 million deaths worldwide each year, mostly due to increased risk of heart disease. This means that fossil fuels account for between five and eight percent of all deaths worldwide.

In Europe, where air pollution levels are lower, the WHO estimates that burning fossil fuels causes 578,900 deaths each year. These figures do not include deaths caused by climate change-related disasters such as floods and heatwaves, meaning the true number of fossil fuel-related deaths is likely higher, the Daily Mail concludes.