Tobacco Use
The use of tobacco has continued to spread worldwide over the years. Currently, the increase is being experienced in developing countries in the low and middle-income classes. However, research by the World Health Organization (WHO, 2021) indicates that deaths are high in high-income countries compared to low-income countries. This can be explained by the gradual effects of cigarette smoking on overall health. It is expected that mortality in developing countries will be increasing in the future. Deaths will increase even if policies of reduced tobacco use are successful.
Over the past years, developed countries have not managed to achieve uniform tobacco use reduction. There are smaller declines among young adults, individuals living in poverty, and women. There are different factors that influence the use of tobacco such as education and socio-economic status. Other factors are at a system level such as tobacco control policies, regulations, and regional economic development. According to Mons (2022), countries that need clues to improve tobacco use control must consider socio-economic and socio-demographic vulnerabilities. This will ensure they establish effective policies for tobacco use regulation and control.
The number of women using tobacco has been increasing compared to the number of men. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2021) asserts that currently, around 23% of adults globally are using tobacco whereby females are around 250 million and males make up to 1 billion. Further research indicates that this gap is narrow because of the growing number of female smokers. It is unfortunate that tobacco use prevalence is high in developing countries. Over 80% of smokers globally are in less developed countries (Perez-Warnisher et al., 2021). It is projected that in 25 years to come, the number of smokers will go up by over 1.5 billion. As a result, the number of deaths related to tobacco use will surpass the number of deaths resulting from suicide, tuberculosis, AIDS, and motor vehicle accidents combined.
In conclusion, there is need for strong global health governance on tobacco use and the establishment of a framework on tobacco control. As Lee et al., (2016) says, even though the prevalence is different in different parts of the globe, tobacco is an issue of global concern. There is need to control every sector that involves tobacco use. For instance, Harvey (2018) believes that tobacco companies have contributed to this increase in tobacco use since they are after increasing their sales. Therefore, these companies need to be regulated. There are organizations which are making advancements towards reducing tobacco use. “The Bloomberg Philanthropies foundation has invested nearly $1 billion to support policies that are proven to reduce tobacco use and protect people from its deadly effects” (Harvey, 2016). Preventive measures such as helping those who are ready to quit, protecting secondhand smokers, warnings on the health effects of tobacco, raising taxes, and banning tobacco advertisements will help reduce its use.
References
Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2021). Global Health Protection and Security: Tobacco. Division of Global Health Protection.
Harvey, J. (2018). Tobacco Use and Heart Disease: A Growing Global Health Challenge. Penn Medicine News.
Lee, K., Eckhardt, J., & Holden, C. (2016). Tobacco industry globalization and global health governance: towards an interdisciplinary research agenda. Palgrave communications, 2(1), 1-12.
Mons, U. (2022). Strengthening tobacco control must remain a global health priority. The Lancet Global Health, 10(2), e161-e162.
Perez-Warnisher, M. T., de Miguel, M. P. C., & Seijo, L. M. (2018). Tobacco use worldwide: legislative efforts to curb consumption. Annals of global health, 84(4), 571.
World Health Organization (WHO, 2021). Tobacco. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/tobacco
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