‘Tobacco Industry Interference’ in focus for World No Tobacco Day 2012

Fri, May 4. 2012

by Dr Nikeisha Lewis
Secretary, SVGMA

The World Health Organization hails May 31 as World No Tobacco Day, and this year’s efforts focuses on the theme “Tobacco Industry Interference”.

Approximately 6 million people die from smoking and its effects yearly and of these 600,000 are non-smokers who have been exposed to second-hand smoke.{{more}} As such, this initiative has been implemented to reduce tobacco’s effects on the world population, by implementing educational drives and public policy measures.

Tobacco consumption has continued to increase; however, while it seems to be trending upwards in the low and middle income countries, it has experienced a decrease in some high and upper middle income countries. This trend seems to hinge on the No Tobacco smoking policies already implemented in these areas. In fact, the St Vincent and the Grenadines Medical Association (SVGMA) in 1988 made its first public drive to implement No Smoking in public areas, which was repeated in 2005. PAHO/WHO awarded the SVGMA for its efforts – the only English speaking country to have gained this achievement in that year. It is our hope that the No Smoking effort will extend to all government agencies/departments and finally to all public areas.

In 2011, St Vincent and the Grenadines Bureau of Standards implemented initiatives for internationally harmonized standards to be used by local tobacco product manufacturers, for the labeling of tobacco and tobacco related products emphasizing graphically the ill effects associated with their use, while maintaining explicit health warnings on the packaging.

In larger countries, the drive to promote No Tobacco Smoking policies has been joined by the mass media, as they seek to protect non-smokers and to stop young people from using tobacco. Use of anti-tobacco advertisements and other graphical warning have strengthened public appeals to desist from use of tobacco products.

In 2008, WHO held the MPOWER Convention, which aspired to develop measures to further the No Tobacco policies that are in play. Six (6) measures were construed:

• Monitor tobacco use and prevention policies

• Protect people from tobacco use

• Offer help to quit tobacco use

• Warn about the dangers of tobacco

• Enforce bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship

• Raise taxes on tobaccos

Around the world, tobacco smoking has been shown to have multiple effects which hinder a population’s contribution to the development of the individual countries. These effects are health related and affect a country’s Gross domestic Product (GDP) by directly influencing worker productivity and indirectly by placing a strain on the country’s health care systems.

Smoking has effects on nearly every organ in the body, and also increases the risk of Coronary Heart Disease, Stroke, Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (Emphysema and Chronic Bronchitis) and Lung Cancer. It is noted for narrowing blood vessels and increasing the risk of developing generalized vascular disease. Smoking has been directly related to multiple cancers, which includes those affecting the Bladder, Cervix, Throat, Kidney, Lung, Mouth, Pancreas and Stomach.

However, there is hope on the horizon. It has been demonstrated that the risk of heart and circulation related conditions reduces by one third (1/3) with the cessation of Tobacco smoking within two (2) years, and goes back to a similar risk as someone who has never smoked within 10-14 years. Similar risk reduction is seen in relation to other organ systems. This is definitely a promising sign that hope for recovery from smoking and, by extension, benefits of avoiding tobacco smoke can be quite a rewarding experience.