Kathmandu, September 15:

Young people are most vulnerable to smoking cigarettes, therefore, they should be educated and made aware about the harms of smoking in the long run, an expert said.

Executive Director of The Cancer Council Queensland Prof Dr Jeff Dunn, who is here for the silver jubilee celebration of Nepal Cancer Relief Society, today said: “Young people should be educated about the consequences of smoking in the long run as they are the most vulnerable group of the society.”

“In Queensland - average age of people beginning smoking is 15.8 years,” Prof Dunn told The Himalayan Times adding that smoking accounts for 12.5 per cent of all new cases of cancer and 21.6 per cent of cancer deaths.