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Blog: Smoking must become a habit of the past
Writing for the Royal College of Physicians, Professor Sanjay Agrawal, chair of the Royal College of Physicians Tobacco Advisory group and Consultant in Respiratory and Intensive Care Medicine, outlines why the proposed age of sale legislation must be passed so that smoking can become a “bygone societal ill”.
For too long smoking has cast a cloud over our society, inflicting pain, suffering, and premature death. As a consultant in respiratory medicine, I have seen countless lives ruined and just as many needlessly lost through this devastating and avoidable addiction. Tobacco smoking, with its vast array of cancer-causing toxins, remains the single largest preventable cause of disease and death in the UK.
The government’s recent commitment to create a smoke-free generation was roundly applauded by health leaders, including the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), who have long called for a dramatic sea change in our approach to tobacco use.
More than 60 years ago, the RCP published Smoking and Health – a report which first highlighted the link between smoking and lung cancer, heart diseases, and other serious illness. These severe health implications, once new learnings, are now common knowledge.
Last year, the Office for Budget Responsibility reported that tobacco duties amount to approximately ten billion pounds, with forecasts that duties will raise to £10.4bn for 2023-24. However, Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) revealed that smoking cost society £17bn in England alone every year – £5bn more than previously estimated. The numbers do not lie. This eye-watering difference would be the continued price of inaction – a public health and financial tab society can afford to foot no longer.
Polling from ASH shows 67% of people in England support the government’s plans to create a smokefree generation by banning the sale of tobacco to those born after the start of 2009. This move was supported by 74% of those who plan to vote Conservative, 72% of those planning to vote Labour and 65% intending to vote Lib Dem at the next election.
The pursuit of a smoke-free generation should not be a mere aspiration; it is a moral and practical imperative. It is a commitment to the well-being, prosperity, and longevity of our nation. The government's efforts will ensure that future generations are spared the often life-altering choice of picking up that first cigarette, reducing the long-term health risks for millions and future demands on our health service.
Source: Royal College of Physicians, 11 December 2023
See also: DHSC - Creating a smokefree generation and tackling youth vaping: what you need to know | RCP report - Smoking and health | Office for Budget Responsibility report – Tobacco duties | ASH - £14bn a year up in smoke – economic toll of smoking in England revealed | Two thirds of the public back raising the age of sale to create a smokefree generation
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India: Only 7% of new docs aware of advances in anti-smoking strategies
A mere 7 per cent of doctors are aware of recent advances in anti-smoking strategies, posing a significant challenge to the nation’s efforts in combating tobacco addiction, according to a new study on Monday.
The findings also showed that cardiovascular disease is the most common reason for patient visits at 12 per cent, underscoring the urgent need for anti-smoking interventions.
“The survey sheds light on the key role doctors play in motivating smokers to quit, emphasising the need for increased awareness and training in implementing advanced anti-smoking strategies. The findings of the survey are a wake-up call. We need to bridge the awareness gap among doctors to effectively combat tobacco harm,” said Chandrakant S. Pandav, global public health expert, and a former Professor & Head of the Department of Centre for Community Medicine at AIIMS, Delhi, in a statement.
The survey also highlighted that despite 78.5 per cent of doctors regularly providing anti-smoking advice, there remains a significant lack of awareness of the most recent advancements in this field.
The survey study suggests that doctors should rigorously inquire about patients’ tobacco consumption at every visit. Additionally, novel alternatives like e-cigarettes and heat-not-burn products could play a vital role as substitutes in reducing the burden of tobacco addiction in India. As the second-largest tobacco consumer globally, with 275 million users, India faces a significant challenge.
The recent Global Adult Tobacco Survey data indicates that only 55.4 per cent of smokers have ever considered or intended to quit, showcasing the urgent need for more effective anti-smoking strategies.
By addressing the gaps in awareness and advocating for effective strategies, India can progress towards achieving the global voluntary goal of a 30 per cent reduction in tobacco consumption by 2025.
Source: The Statesman, 12 December 2023
See also: WHO - Global Adult Tobacco Survey
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Biden administration pulls back from banning menthol cigarettes
The Biden administration is putting off its plan to ban menthol cigarettes until next March after an aggressive lobbying push by civil rights groups -- some sponsored by Big Tobacco -- who argued a ban would unfairly target Black smokers.
The delay, acknowledged in an online posting Wednesday, is a major defeat for health advocates who have been pushing for years to limit access to menthol cigarettes, which are aggressively marketed in Black communities.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, menthol can enhance the addictive effects of cigarettes and make it harder to quit.
"We can't reduce tobacco use and associated disease and death without eliminating menthol as a flavour. That's really the next step," said Chrissie Juliano, executive director of the Big Cities Health Coalition, which represents city health departments across the country.
Now anti-tobacco groups say they worry the rule won't happen at all, especially in an election year. They point to the fact that several of the groups involved in discussions with the White House and others running ads against the ban are sponsored by tobacco companies.
Yolonda Richardson, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, said more than 45,000 Black people die from smoking each year – a figure the administration knows well.
“I don't know how Black Lives Matter if you're willing to put 45,000 lives at risk” by keeping menthol cigarettes on the market, she said.
National Organisation of Black Law Enforcement lists tobacco giant Altria among its sponsors. Another group, the National Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice, which ran ads against the proposed ban, is sponsored by Reynolds American.
Source: ABC News, 6 December 2023
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ASH Daily News is a digest of published news on smoking-related topics. ASH is not responsible for the content of external websites. ASH does not necessarily endorse the material contained in this bulletin.
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