Dangers Of Tobacco Research Articles

An overview of tobacco control and prevention policy status in Africa

Tobacco smoking prevalence remains low in many African countries. However, growing economies and the increased presence of multinational tobacco companies in the African Region have the potential to contribute to increasing tobacco use rates in the future. This paper used data from the 2014 Global Progress Report on implementation of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), as well as the 2015 WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic, to describe the status of tobacco control and prevention efforts in countries in the WHO African Region relative to the provisions of the WHO FCTC and MPOWER package. Among the 23 countries in the African Region analyzed, there are large variations in the overall WHO FCTC implementation rates, ranging from 9% in Sierra Leone to 78% in Kenya. The analysis of MPOWER implementation status indicates that opportunities exist for the African countries to enhance compliance with WHO recommended best practices for monitoring tobacco use, protecting people from tobacco smoke, offering help to quit tobacco use, warning about the dangers of tobacco, enforcing bans on tobacco advertising and promotion, and raising taxes on tobacco products. If tobacco control interventions are successfully implemented, African nations could avert a tobacco-related epidemic, including premature death, disability, and the associated economic, development, and societal costs.

Cross-section survey on smoking behavior and cognition in Chongqing, 2014

To investigate the prevalence of smoking, smoking cessation, passive smoking and awareness of the dangers of tobacco in population in Chongqing and provide evidence for developing prevention and control measures. A total of 5 400 residents aged ≥18 years were selected from 9 districts/counties in Chongqing through stratified multi-stage cluster sampling and face-to-face interviews were conducted among them. Indicators as current smoking rates, smoking cessation rates and passive smoking rates were calculated by the weight of age proportions from 2010 population census. The analytical method was based on complex sampling design. The current smoking rate of the residents aged ≥18 years was 27.4% (male: 53.5% and female: 1.1%), which was highest in age group 40-50 years (58.4%) for males. The current smoking rate among rural residents was higher than that in urban residents. The prevalence of daily cigarette smoking was 27.5%, which was significantly higher in southeastern Chongqing. The rate of passive smoking was 52.4%. Among daily smokers, the mean number of cigarettes smoked was 17.5 per day (men: 17.6 per day; women: 13.5 per day). The daily smoked cigarette number in males was higher in age group 40-50 years (20.1 per day) and those with junior middle school education level (18.9 per day). The proportion of the current smokers who smoked more than 20 cigarettes per day (the rate of heavy smoker) was higher in males than in females and in rural residents than in urban residents. The proportion of heavy smokers was 59.3%, which was highest in age group 40-50 years (66.8%), followed by those with junior middle school educational level (65.2%). The average age of smokers when they stared to smoke was 20.8 years old, which was low in males and rural residents. About 80.2% of the smokers stared to smoke under 25 years old, and 70.3% of the smokers stared to smoke between 15 and 25 years old. The overall rate of smoking cessation was 20.1% and the successful smoking cessation rate was 13.7%. The two rates increased with age, the successful smoking cessation rate was lowest in age group 18-40 years (4.8%). The awareness of the tobacco risk related knowledge seemed poor among the residents, only 19.6% of the residents were aware that smoking could cause serious diseases (stoke, heart disease and lung cancer). 21.9% of the residents were aware that passive smoking could cause serious diseases (heart disease, lung disease and lung cancer). Current prevalence of smoking in males in Chongqing remains at a high level, indicating that the publicity programs on the tobacco risk related knowledge needs to be strengthened and the tobacco control needs more efforts. The tobacco control in Chongqing is still facing serious challenge.

World Health Organization: Do we have to intensify global tobacco control efforts?

Sir, Globally, consumption of tobacco account for 6 million deaths every year, and has been acknowledged as one of the leading public health concerns threatening the mankind.[1] Furthermore, close to 80% of the word's smokers are from low- and middle-income countries, and it is anticipated that the number of deaths can increase up to 8 million by the year 2030, in the absence of effective public health interventions.[1,2] Recognizing the magnitude of the problem and its impact on different aspects of an individual/family/society, the World Health Organization has developed a Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), which was thoroughly supported by the member states.[2,3] The FCTC target was to reduce the global consumption of tobacco by 30% by the year 2025 and to achieve the same, MPOWER (viz. 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; and Raise taxes on tobacco), was introduced in the year 2008.[3] In fact, in Iran, multiple indicators targeting policy makers, stakeholders, and the community, have been developed to evaluate the implementation of FCTC.[4] A wide range of studies have been performed to assess the utility of telephone interactive voice-response tobacco cessation support service; and opinion of general population regarding smoking scenes in movies; hence that awareness among stakeholders regarding tobacco control can be enhanced.[5,6] Although, recent estimates reflect a gradual decline in the rate of tobacco usage, only 37 nations are expected to achieve 30% tobacco reduction as initially set for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases.[2] This has been attributed to the wider challenges and obstacles identified in different settings such as poor awareness among the general population about the adverse effects associated with tobacco consumption, especially in low-resource settings; legal hurdles; poor surveillance activities; absence of effective measures to facilitate reduction in tobacco demand; lack of measures to protect people from tobacco smoke or to extend adequate help to quit tobacco use; and no strict enforcement of bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship.[2,3,7] In order to intensify the global efforts to counter the tobacco epidemic, it is important to realize that adequate monitoring and thorough surveillance is the key to modify the existing policies in the local settings, and that second-hand smoke can kill both adults and children.[1,2] In addition, implementation of other measures like extending help to quit consumption of tobacco by offering them counseling and medications; organizing periodic awareness campaigns preferably in the local language of the residents; consistent display of pictorial warnings on tobacco products; enforcing ban on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship related activities; and raising taxes on tobacco products to discourage its usage.[2,3,7,8] In conclusion, it is the need of the hour that policy makers should intensify the tobacco control efforts and work in a concerted manner along with other stakeholders to constantly improve the tobacco control. Financial support and sponsorship Nil. Conflicts of interest There are no conflicts of interest.

The Association between Point-of-Sale Advertising Bans and Youth Experimental Smoking: Findings from the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS).

Background and Objectives: while existing research has demonstrated a positive association between exposure to point-of-sale (POS) tobacco advertising and youth smoking, there is limited evidence on the relationship between POS advertising restrictions and experimental smoking among youth. This study aims to fill this research gap by analyzing the association between POS advertising bans and youths' experimental smoking. Methods: Global Youth Tobacco Surveys from 130 countries during 2007–2011 were linked to the WHO “MPOWER” tobacco control policy measures to analyze the association between POS advertising bans (a dichotomous measure of the existence of such bans) and experimental smoking using weighted logistic regressions. All analyses were clustered at the country level and controlled for age, parents' smoking status, GDP per capita, and country-level tobacco control scores in monitoring tobacco use, protecting people from smoke, offering help to quit, warning about the dangers of tobacco, enforcing promotion/advertising bans, and raising taxes on tobacco. Results: The results suggest that a POS advertising ban is significantly associated with reduced experimental smoking among youth (OR = 0.63, p < 0.01), and that this association is seen for both genders (boys OR = 0.74, p < 0.1; girls OR = 0.52, p < 0.001). Conclusions: POS advertising bans are significantly associated with reduced experimental smoking among youth. Adopting POS advertising bans has the potential to reduce tobacco use among their youth in countries currently without such bans.

한국 담배규제 정책의 평가: 담배규제정책 전문가 의견 조사를 토대로

Background: Due to lack of regular and systematic evaluation tool, Korea's tobacco control policy has not been examined its overall process of implementation including efficiency and adequacy of the policies. This study developed policy monitoring and evaluation model to assess policy implementation and effectiveness of tobacco control in Korea. Methods: Based on World Health Organization operational manual for assessment, MPOWER (monitor tobacco use and prevention policies, protect from tobacco smoke, offer help to quit tobacco use, warn about the dangers of tobacco, enforce bans on tobacco advertising promotion and sponsorship, and raise taxes on tobacco) related policies were reviewed by rating policy efforts, programme management, people (human resources and their development), provision of organization, provision of fund and partnerships (range, 0 to 5). Results: As a result of the experts' assessment, overall Korean tobacco control policies scored 2.61 points, which is poor. In relation to each 'MPOWER' policies, 'W' scored the highest points (2.93), followed by 'O' (2.91), 'M' (2.87), 'P' (2.86), and 'E' (2.23). 'R' scored the lowest points of 1.87, meaning government efforts in tobacco price policy is insufficient. Conclusion: This study concludes that Korean tobacco control policy should strengthen tax and price measures, while programme infrastructure, people, and funds for policy enforcement should be secured. Furthermore, rather than focusing on one specific measure, a balanced approach reflecting various aspects of tobacco controls should be considered in order to decrease smoking rates and prevent smoking initiation.

Tobacco-free schools as a core component of youth tobacco prevention programs: a secondary analysis of data from 43 countries.

Preventing tobacco use is a key aspect of health promotion during adolescence. We assessed prevalence and impact of school-based tobacco prevention programs in 43 countries. We performed a secondary analysis of national data of students aged 13-15 years (Global Youth Tobacco Surveys) from 43 countries during 2005-2011. National surveys of the corresponding school personnel (Global School Personnel Surveys) were performed in each country during the same year as the student surveys. Data on status of enforcement of national smoke-free school policies were obtained from the 2008 and 2009 WHO MPOWER reports. Logistic regression was used to measure ecologic-level associations between school-based tobacco prevention programs and tobacco-related knowledge and behaviour among students (P < 0.05). The proportion of students who were taught in class about the dangers of tobacco use during the school year ranged from 31.4% (Georgia) to 83.4% (Papua New Guinea). For every 10% increase (country level) in the proportion of teachers who reported having a tobacco prevention curriculum in their school, the odds of students reporting exposure to education in class about the dangers of tobacco increased by 6.0% (AOR = 1.06; 95% CI: 1.04-1.08). However, didactic education in class about the dangers of tobacco use was not independently associated with student current cigarette smoking behavior. Conversely, the likelihood of being a current smoker was significantly lower among students in countries with moderate/strongly enforced national smoke-free school policies compared with those in countries with poorly enforced/no national smoke-free school policies (AOR = 0.59; 95% CI: 0.45-0.76). Comprehensive tobacco prevention programs that include well-enforced smoke-free school policies may help reduce youth smoking.

Effects of tobacco hazards on perioperative outcome in surgical patients

Background The dangers of tobacco is one of the most serious public health problem in the world today.Some 69 million adults receive operations every year,and millions of them encounter perioperative respiratory and cardiovascular complications.Objective This article reviewed the effects of smoking on the surgical outcomes in patients and its mechanism.Content During perioperative period smoking patients encounter with pneumonia,non-expected endotracheal intubation,mechanical ventilation,cardiac arrest,myocardial infarction,stroke,superficial or deep cut infection,sepsis,organ cavity infection and septic shock,postoperative opioid requirements increase.Trend Study on the mechanisms of influence of smoking on perioperative complications and pain sensitivity provide theoretical basis for the rehabilitation of surgical patients. Key words: Smoking; Perioperation ; Complications; Postoperative pain

The Effect of Exposure to Pro-Tobacco Advertising on Experimentation With Emerging Tobacco Products Among U.S. Adolescents

This study assessed the influence of exposure to pro-tobacco advertisements on experimentation with emerging tobacco products among U.S. adolescents aged ≥9 years, in Grades 6 to 12. Data were obtained from the 2011 National Youth Tobacco Survey. Multivariate logistic regression was used to measure the association between experimentation with snus and e-cigarettes and exposure to pro-tobacco advertisements from three sources: over the Internet, in newspapers/magazines, and at retail stores. After controlling for sociodemographic characteristics and current use of other tobacco products, the odds of experimenting with snus were 1.36 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.88-3.16), 2.03 (95% CI = 1.30-3.17), and 3.24 (95% CI = 2.07-5.07), among students exposed to one, two, or all three types of pro-tobacco advertisements, respectively, compared with those exposed to none. Similar results were obtained for e-cigarettes. Stronger restrictions on tobacco advertisements, in concert with increased tobacco taxes and warning about the dangers of tobacco, use may help reduce youth tobacco use.

Smoking Burden in the Philippines

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How Turkey Meets MPOWER Criteria?

In 2003 World Health Assembly adopted an international treaty on tobacco control; FCTC, Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Five year later World Health Organization (WHO) declared the six effective approach for tobacco control, under the name of MPOWER. In the following years, WHO evaluated the level of implementation of MPOWER criteria in the countries. In this article, how Turkey implemented these six criteria will be discussed. Monitor tobacco use and prevention policies: Monitoring of tobacco use prevalence has been successfully monitored in Turkey through Global Adult Tobacco Survey, Global Youth Tobacco Survey and Health Professionals Tobacco Use Survey. Nevertheless, monitoring of tobacco industry activities was not successfully implemented. Protect people from tobacco smoke: Smoking was banned in most of the indoor public places in Turkey since 1996, and Turkey became a complete smoke-free country by the exposion of smoke-free places including the hospitality workplaces in 2008. Offer help to quit tobacco use: Although smoking cessation services has been a bit late in Turkey, availability of smoking cessation drugs and the establishment of free quitline services made Turkey successful in this regard. Warn about the dangers of tobacco: Since 1996, all TV channels have a duty of broadcasting programs on harms of tobacco use, not less than 90 minutes in a month and it has been implemented successfully. Additionally written messages indicating harms of tobacco has been printed on the packs since 1988 and pictures was added in 2010. But since the average surface area covered by the messages in less than 50% of the total surface of the pack, Turkey was not regarded as to meet the requirement. Enforce bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship: All kinds of tobacco advertisement and promotion was banned by the Law in 1996. But the tobacco products was not in closed boxes at the sales points. Turkey was not found as successful in this regard. Raise taxes on tobacco: Total tax on the tobacco products is more than 75% level which was recommended by WHO, Turkey meets this criteria. In conclusion, Turkey was regarded as meeting all the MPOWER criteria except the warning about the dangers of tobacco and enforcement of the advertisement ban. In conclusion, Turkey was regarded as meeting all the MPOWER criteria except the warning about the dangers of tobacco and enforcement of the advertisement ban.

Prevalência de jovens universitários tabagistas e suas inter-relações

Introdução: O tabaco é a droga mais consumida no mundo e sua utilização por adolescentes e adultos jovens tem aumentado. Objetivos: Identificar a prevalência do tabagismo em jovens universitários e sua associação com o hábito de consumirem bebidas alcoólicas e de praticarem exercício físico. Método: Foram entrevistados 360 universitários, de ambos os gêneros, idade entre 18 e 24 anos, tendo sido avaliados com relação ao hábito tabágico, nível dependência nicotínica e a outros hábitos associados. Resultados: Encontrou-se uma prevalência de tabagistas de 6,9%, não ocorrendo diferença entre os gêneros. A maioria dos fumantes não realizava exercício físico e apresentava grau baixo e muito baixo de dependência nicotínica. Foi identificada relevante associação entre o hábito de fumar e o consumo de bebidas alcoólicas. Conclusão: É necessário desenvolver programas que incentivem a cessação do hábito tabágico, assim como a divulgação de informações sobre os malefícios do tabaco e bebidas alcoólicas.

The growth in newspaper coverage of tobacco control in China, 2000-2010

BackgroundMedia coverage of tobacco-related issues can potentially shape individual beliefs, attitudes and behaviors about tobacco use. This study aims to describe news coverage of tobacco control related issues in Chinese newspapers from 2000 to 2010.MethodsAll 1149 articles related to tobacco control were extracted from the Database of Chinese Important Newspapers and content analyzed for the period Jan 1, 2000 to Dec 31, 2010. The changing pattern of tobacco control topic, article type, viewpoint, and article origin, and their relationship were analysed.ResultsNews coverage of tobacco control related issues increased significantly (p < 0.01) from 2000 to 2010, with news coverage being relatively intensive in May and June (p < 0.01), around World No Tobacco Day. 24.9% (n = 286) of all articles focused on secondhand smoke, 25.3% (n = 291) warned about the dangers of active smoking, and 10.0% (n = 115) focused on prevention and cessation programs and campaigns. Tobacco control topics varied significantly between national vs city/regional newspapers (χ2 = 24.09, p = 0.002) and article types (χ2 = 193.35, p < 0.001). Articles in national newspapers had more coverage of the dangers of tobacco and on enforcing bans on tobacco-advertising. News stories centered around monitoring tobacco use and smoke free activity, while editorials focused on enforcing bans on tobacco-advertising, youth access and programs and campaigns. Letters to editors focused on the dangers of smoking, raising tax, and smoking cessation. More articles (50.4%) took an anti-tobacco position (compared with 10.5% which were pro-smoking), with the amount of negative coverage growing significantly across the decade. National articles tended to lean toward anti-tobacco, however, local articles tended mix of pro-tobacco and neutral/balance positions. Editorials seemed to be more anti-tobacco oriented, but letters to the editor tended to show a mix of anti-tobacco and pro-tobacco positions.ConclusionChinese newspapers are giving increasing attention to tobacco control, but coverage remains lower than in the USA and Australia. Health workers need to give higher priority to efforts to increase news coverage beyond the present concentration around World No Tobacco Day and to develop strategies for making tobacco control issues more newsworthy to both national and local news outlets.

Best practices in tobacco control in the South-East Asia Region

The tobacco epidemic is an increasing threat to public health with the tobacco burden particularly high in WHO's South-East Asia Region (SEAR). The Region has many obstacles to tobacco control, but despite these challenges, significant progress has been made in many countries. Although much work still needs to be done, SEAR countries have nevertheless implemented strong and often innovative tobacco control measures that can be classified as "best practices," with some setting global precedents. The best practice measures implemented in SEAR include bans on gutka, reducing tobacco imagery in movies, and warning about the dangers of tobacco. In a time of scarce resources, countries in SEAR and elsewhere must ensure that the most effective and cost-efficient measures are implemented. It is hoped that countries can learn from these examples and as appropriate, adapt these measures to their own specific cultural, social and political realities.

Say no to cigarettes!

May 31, 2010 is world No Tobacco Day-an event instituted by the World Health Organisation to raise awareness of the dangers of tobacco

The role of reported tobacco-specific media exposure on adult attitudes towards proposed policies to limit the portrayal of smoking in movies

ObjectiveTo assess the relative, independent contribution of reported tobacco-specific media exposure (pro-tobacco advertising, anti-tobacco advertising, and news coverage of tobacco issues) to US adults' support for policy efforts that aim...

Effect of cigarette smoking on skin aging

The dangers of smoking are multiple and well-known. Despite an aggressive public health initiative to warn the public about the dangers of tobacco, little progress has been made in convincing people to stop smoking. Many tobacco companies target younger people in an attempt to create lifelong brand loyalty. The traditional public health approach, warning that smoking can cause later health problems, such as lung cancer and emphysema, often does not influence younger people. Many young people shrug off these warnings due to feelings of invincibility or lack of concern about the future. Accumulating data that demonstrates that smoking leads to a prematurely aged appearance may have more of an effect on these younger generations. In this review, we aim to bring to light the most recent studies investigating the role of smoking on skin aging.

Tobacco dependence treatment and the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control

Tobacco dependence treatment and the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control

Prevalence and determinants of cigarette smoking among adolescents in Blantyre City, Malawi

Tobacco smoking is a major risk factor for non-communicable diseases such as ischaemic heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive airways disease and several cancers. There is little data about the prevalence and determinants of smoking among adolescents in southern Africa. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and determinants of cigarette smoking among adolescents in Blantyre City, Malawi. Cross-sectional data were obtained from school-going adolescents in Blantyre in 2001 using the Global Youth Tobacco Survey data collection instrument. Data were analysed to determine prevalence of current and ever cigarette smoking, and predictors of smoking. The prevalence of current smoking and ever smoking were 3.0% and 15.6%, respectively. Predictors of current tobacco smoking included male gender, having friends or parents who smoked, having been exposed to advertisements about tobacco brands on television and having seen a lot of advertisements in newspapers and magazines. School programmes that included being taught about smoking in class and a class discussion on the dangers of tobacco were not associated with reduced current smoking. Intervention programmes aiming to curb tobacco smoking among adolescents should focus on dealing also with parental smoking, peer influence and pay special attention toward male gender. School-based programmes to prevent smoking should be evaluated as some may have little impact in influencing current smoking status.

Protecting children and youth from tobacco: What are we waiting for?

Tobacco-related illnesses kill 45,000 Canadians annually – more than were killed during the six years of World War II (1). For the tobacco industry to maintain its profits, each dying smoker must be replaced by another victim. Sadly, the new conscript is usually younger than 20 years of age. Data from the 1994 Survey on Smoking in Canada (2) indicated that 84% of Canadian adults who had ever smoked began smoking before they reached age 20 years. Our society is engaged in a war against the single largest preventable cause of premature death in Canada; although death occurs after many decades, the new recruits are mostly child soldiers. Although few interventions have had a significant effect on reducing either enivronmental tobacco smoke exposure or smoking initiation in children, it appears that organized, comprehensive smoking cessation campaigns have been successful. California, Oregon and Massachusetts have seen dramatic reductions in tobacco use following coordinated and well-funded interventions (in excess of $5 per capita) (3). A Canadian consensus document that outlined the goals and strategic directions for a comprehensive tobacco control strategy was published in 1999 (4). Unfortunately, current funding levels of less than $1 per capita mean that Canadian anti-smoking initiatives remain underfunded, especially compared with the magnitude of the problem, the profits of the tobacco industry, and the revenues of federal and provincial governments. With a levy on every cigarette pack sold in Canada, the proposed Tobacco Youth Protection Act would provide realistic funding for a comprehensive approach to tobacco reduction. So how can paediatricians and other health care providers help protect children and youth from the dangers of tobacco? We have a key role to play – we have the public’s trust in our offices or in the offices of legislators. We can talk with children and their parents about the proven risks of tobacco, using our personal credibility to change their lives. In our communities, we provide scientific validity to the cause against tobacco. The Canadian media have been very supportive of the message that youth are victims of a multinational industry that sees children as fair game; we should make allies of these well-meaning journalists. Whether we speak to the media or to politicians, we address the concerns of children, and not the concerns of voters or industry. It was this type of lobbying by physicians and nongovernmental organizations in Newfoundland and Labrador that resulted in the forthcoming ban on smoking in all public places that are frequented by children. Imagine the impact of such a ban nationwide. Ultimately, we must take sides in the war against tobacco. Inaction gives the tobacco industry unopposed access to child recruits, condemning hundreds of thousands of Canadian children to a premature death as adults. Implementing a comprehensive tobacco reduction strategy across Canada will, undoubtedly, save lives. What are we waiting for?

Resultados de un programa psicoterapéutico de deshabituación tabáquica tras 12 meses de seguimiento

To compare the efficacy of psychological counseling for smokers in a cessation program in comparison with treatment based only on providing information about damage caused by tobacco and advice for quitting, and to determine the reasons patients started to smoke. We studied 249 patients who came to a preliminary interview; 226 began treatment for smoking cessation. The average level of dependence, quantified the Fagerstrom test was 7.26 +/- 1.85 points. Two treatment groups were formed: the first patients seen made up the control group (n = 37), which received information about the dangers of tobacco and strategies for quitting, and the psychological counseling group (n = 189). Follow-up examinations were performed three, six and twelve months after treatment, with abstinence checked by measurement of CO in exhaled air. Only patients with CO levels less than 5 ppm (particles per million) in exhaled air were considered non-smokers. Most patients of both sexes named social pressure as the reason for starting to smoke. The rate of abstinence in the information and strategies group was 8.1% at all three follow-up visits, whereas the rate was 37%, 25.4% and 24.3% at three, six and twelve months, respectively, in the group receiving counseling. The differences between the two groups were significant at all visits. Social pressure is the main reason for starting to smoke. We observed a success rate of 24.3% after one year of follow-up after psychological treatment only, a rate that was significantly higher than that of the group that received only information. We believe that psychological counseling is an effective alternative for smokers who want to quit.