how many people die a year because of tobacco?
<answer> More than 400,000 deaths. <context> Secondhand smoke kills 600,000 worldwide annually. 1  1 in 100 people around the world die from secondhand smoke each year, a new study reveals, and nearly two-thirds of the deaths occur in children. Health officials have known that more than 1 billion people around the world smoke and 5 million people die each year from tobacco-related illness, according to the World Health Organization.