Smoking kills Scot EVERY 40 MINUTES

'Cig firms must cough up for harm caused'

- VIVIENNE AITKEN

TOBACCO causes the death of one person every 40 minutes in Scotland.

The research is released today by Cancer Research UK on World No Tobacco Day, as the charity urges people across Scotland to sign a petition to make tobacco giants accountable for its harm.

Smoking remains the country's biggest cause of death and is responsible for around a third of the nation's cancer fatalities.

And in Scotland, one person is admitted to hospital every six minutes because of smoking.

Cancer Research UK is calling on the UK, Scottish and Welsh Governments to act now to reduce smoking rates.