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By: Harry Lee
On the face of the earth, cigarettes are one of the most common forms of tobacco usage, and it is easily the most used form. However, there are more ominous facts attached to this usage as well, as only in the United States, it causes 443,000 deaths each year, as per the reports from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The primary strategies of reducing health-related issues associated with cigarettes involve cessation and prevention from the very start. Another vital approach in this regard is the reduction of secondhand exposure to smoke.
However, over the years, there have been many other concepts introduced as well. A very original idea is changing the cigarette itself and making something of smoke that is less toxic, yet equally enjoyable. When we look at this concept in detail, we can see that while this new concept could be recent, the basic idea behind this concept is not new.
Modification of conventional cigarettes to potentially less harmful cigarettes goes back to as far as 1950. The tobacco industry in the middle of the 20th century embarked on efforts after the severe backlash from the public. However, it all proved to be for nothing.
Smoke Crisis In the context of COVID19
The global pandemic of Covid19 has brought a total disruption and trauma in the everyday world of everyone on the planet. In these hard times, governments all around the globe have found themselves in poor public service conditions. It was only for a crisis like this that has acted as an essential warning system in alerting the governments about these deteriorating conditions of public health.
Smoking and vaping do not only have harsh outcomes on public health, but they also put consume at higher risk if they are to be infected with the Covid19. Factually, we do not know yet if smoking leads to an increase in the number that is prone to the pandemic. However, researches over the past few months have shown that the stress may significantly impede the use of cessation by smoking. If this pandemic is good at something, it is increasing the weight of the infected.
However, what we need to understand here is that the vapers and smokers should not be perceived as the malicious perpetrators of these troubles and harms. We should not put the onus on them to ensure public health, though we can and should encourage them to do so. However, if there is someone who we can put the onus on in this context, it is the governments and the tobacco industry.
We need to understand that writing mere warnings on cigarette packets does not do enough. A lot more is to be done by the governments and the smoke companies, especially when we consider the health of secondary victims from the second-hand smoke. The substantial number of secondary victims are the children, and it is the core social obligation of protecting the children. Most notably, when we see the convention on the rights of the child, it specifies the steps that we have to take and care that we need to make of the coming generation.
Strong tobacco measures are paramount to create a healthy environment for children. As per recent research from Helfer & Gartner, the tobacco pandemic has long preceded Covid19, and it sure is to outlast any possible future epidemic. The massive efforts and mobilization of sources in countering the epidemic of Covid19 cannot be seen anywhere when it comes to combat the smoke pandemic.
Similarly, what Covid19 has done precisely is that it has shown the world how fragile the current health system is, and how it can readily collapse in case of a surge of any disease. This has to be considered, especially when we are expecting an enormous rise in health issues regarding smoking. For organizations and governments, it is essential to note that like viruses, the risks that tobacco offers do not discriminate.
Educating the Consumers
As we have previously discussed, the primary responsibility lies in the governments and cigarette manufacturers, but educating the consumers on the gravity of the issue is critical. As per WHO, 6 million people die worldwide every year due to smoking, and due to second-hand smoking.
Recent studies have also shown us that smoking is related to well over 20% of adult deaths across the world. It can be easily projected that smoking will be the cause of 8 million deaths in 2030, and the number will only keep increasing if it is not controlled and if the consumers are not rightly educated.
Consumers need to understand that there are significant negative impacts of smoking on health even when we take out the primary damage of the lungs. Similarly, the economic burden of smoke-related issues is high, with 15% of the total healthcare budget across the world is being spent on diseases linked with smoking.
Data reveals that smoking is related to a large number of oral conditions, including but not limited to, gingival recession, periodontal diseases, benign mucosal conditions, teeth staining, and a lot more. Smokers’ life span is ten years lesser than non-smokers.
In this context, we should understand the importance of raising awareness regarding cigarette control in the primary population. Smoking recession efforts can be as much as 97% effective in reducing the risk of death before the age of 30 years, and it is no ordinary statistic.
Few factors that lead to the adolescent-smoking include stress, low self-esteem, advertising of cigarettes, poor performances in school and college, and very often, the occurrence of smoking relatives and parents. Furthermore, some researches have indicated that the initiation of smoking is linked with the perception of benefits and risks attached to it. It was found that youth with lower knowledge about the long-term dangers of smoking were more likely to get caught in this cycle. Therefore, proper public awareness campaigns must be run, and more people, especially the youth, are educated on the grave consequences of smoking. However, it is impossible without the input of governments and cigarette manufacturers, who are the primary culprits of this pandemic.
