Patents on the soles of your shoes...: smoking

Saturday, May 31, 2014

May 31, 2014 – UN No tobacco Day

The campaign theme for the WHO/UN World No Tobacco day is: Raise Taxes!

There is plenty of evidence that this public health strategy works. For example, California Proposition 99 Tobacco tax increase (voted in 1988), and the overwhelming defeat in 2000 of Proposition 28 Repeal of “first five” cigarette taxes, in conjunction with other public health measures was estimated in 2004 to have reduced the burden of the California state healthcare system by 86 billion dollars in reduced incidence of lung cancer and heart disease [Glantz and Balbach, 2000]

And for anyone with doubts about government tobacco interventions, The World Bank has also conducted research concerning the myths surrounding tobacco control, and for example, the following myths in particular [World Bank]:

1. Governments will lose revenues if they increase cigarette taxes, because people will buy fewer cigarettes

Wrong. The evidence is clear: calculations show that even very substantial cigarette tax increases will still reduce consumption and increase tax revenues [..]

2. Tobacco addiction is so strong that simply raising taxes will not reduce demand; therefore, raising taxes is not justified

Scores of studies have shown that increased taxes reduce the number of smokers and the number of smoking-related deaths. Price increases induce some smokers to quit and prevent others from becoming regular or persistent smokers. [plus lots more..]

3. Governments will lose revenues if they increase cigarette taxes, because people will buy fewer cigarettes

Wrong. The evidence is clear: calculations show that even very substantial cigarette tax increases will still reduce consumption and increase tax revenues [..]

4. Smuggling and illicit production will undermine the effects of raised tobacco taxes

Smuggling is a serious concern. But even in the face of smuggling, the evidence from a number of countries shows that tax increases still increase revenues and reduce cigarette consumption […]

5. Tobacco control will result in permanent job losses for an economy

[…] Studies for this report show that most countries would see no net job losses and that a few would see net gains if consumption fell.

6. Governments should not discourage smoking other than making its risks widely known. Otherwise, they would interfere with consumers’ freedom of choice

[…] the choice to smoke may differ from the choice to buy other consumer goods and governments may consider interventions justified.

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So...after May 31 ,2014... the future has to be ... smoke-free planet earth!

References

Glantz, S. A. and E. D. Balbach (2000) Tobacco war. Oakland, CA: University of California Press.

The World Bank – Tobacco

http://tinyurl.com/ncr5kcf

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Countdown to May 31, 2014 - World No Tobacco Day

Puff, puff, puff … If you think that no one smokes any more… consider the following figures from WHO (the World Health Organization).

Almost 80% of the world’s one billion smokers live in low and middle income countries.
Tobacco claims the lives of almost 6 million people every year.
Tobacco kills more than half of its users. [WHO (1) Tobacco Fact Sheet].

Or consider the following US figures from the National Cancer Institute (NCI):

Each year tobacco use claims 440,000 deaths.
At least 30 % of all cancer deaths are attributed to smoking, which makes quitting smoking a top priority for reducing the risks of cancer. [NCI, Tobacco Use]

And that’s not all… take a peek at the figures related to SHS – second hand smoke

There are an estimated 600,000 deaths worldwide related to second-hand smoke (SHS), that is, more than 1% of all deaths, including 165,000 children. [WHO (2), Burden of SHS]

Considering the above figures, WHO considers smoking a global epidemic, and organizes each year, on May 31, a No Tobacco Day. The UN/WHO No Tobacco Day is designed to raise awareness about tobacco-related health risks, and offer effective policies for reducing tobacco consumption.

And on a much smaller scale… for anyone trying to quit, May 31 is a great target date, per the NCI cessation programs. In other words, it’s a great day to quit, at least for 24 hours…in the company of millions worldwide, and of course, to continue quitting the next day too, and perhaps the day after…. and the day after…

And, in any event to never give up trying to quit… until the battle is won, even if it means setting another No Tobacco Day, or any number of additional No Tobacco Days. According to the NIH (National Institutes of Health) NIDA (National Institute of Drug Abuse):