Global Efforts to Diminish Tobacco Usage

The widespread usage of tobacco globally has been an ongoing battle not only in the United States but for all locations around the globe. The consequences of smoking can include diseases and other harm to every organ within the human body. In the United States alone, smoking tobacco is responsible for over 480,000 deaths per year which also including secondhand smoking. As for worldwide, the number affected is estimated to be roughly over 7 million people per year. It is a well-known fact that tobacco can kill up to half of its users so these numbers are not as crazy as they may seem. Most researchers believe that if it were not for cigarettes, we would actually be winning the battle against cancer here in the United States. The majority of all cancers can be seen to have been caused by tobacco in some way, whether it is direct exposure or secondhand. Either type of exposure can have a major negative impact on the human body, whether the individual is a user or bystander. Although it appears that the overall intake of tobacco products is slightly decreasing with the use of new policies decreasing the supply and demand of such products as a whole, the future is still uncertain as those numbers always tend to fluctuate. Whether we choose to admit it or not, Tobacco Usage is a major health concern globally that should not be taken lightly considering the ramifications that come with it. 

Tobacco is a rural harvest, most recognized as a key ingredient to make cigarettes. It is developed everywhere throughout the world and plays a significant role in a billion-dollar industry. Whether we choose to admit it as a population or not, the number of users attracted to these products are certainly too high. The major ingredient of tobacco is a stimulant, well known as nicotine. Nicotine is a very dangerous chemical that should not be taken lightly. It is also known to be highly addictive which correlates directly to the large number of customers that purchase these products on a daily basis. Tobacco products tend to have many negative effects on more than half of the percentage of its uses. It can trigger disruptions within the human body in many ways including conditions such as elevated blood pressure. Elevated blood pressure can put a very large amount of strain on the body's arteries as well as the heart. This can also get so bad that it could result in even more serious conditions such as a stroke or heart attack. Another serious condition that could be the product of tobacco usage is vasoconstriction. This is a well-known condition that involves the constriction of blood transmissions throughout the body by decreasing the space for the blood to flow. With the blood flow decreased, the body will retain heat causing discomfort as well as disruptions with other organs. If those two reasons alone are not enough to have individual thinking twice before becoming another statistic on the downward spiral of tobacco usage, there’s more. Users across the globe taking part in these activities are not only putting their internal organs at risk and possibly giving more ammunition to the cancer battle, but they are weakening their senses as well. At a very young age, we as people are thought to have five senses. They are sight, touch, smell, taste, and hearing. These senses play major roles in our everyday lives and we depend on them more than anything else in this world. Tobacco use weakens each and every one of them whether you realize it or not. Nicotine is the key culprit in this situation. The highly addictive chemical messes with your brain and triggers a feeling of calmness as well as making you think that you need to retain this feeling as much as you possibly can. This normally results in an increase of addiction which contributes to the downward spiral leading to disease. 

The market for tobacco products not only in the United States but around the world is one of the biggest issues for the plan to diminish tobacco usage. “The tobacco market consists of the retail sale of cigarettes, cigars and cigarillos, smokeless tobacco, and smoking tobacco.” The variety of products is what keeps the public and consumers intrigued. Across the globe, the market attracts individuals of all ages as well as genders. Prior to new rules and policies regarding those who were legally allowed to purchase these products, the youth tended to be some of the biggest consumers. Generally, this market attracted a lot of youth at the age of 18 around the world, however, the age limit to purchase these products has increased to 21 and over in the United States. Studies actually show that increasing the age will significantly reduce the number of young adults smoking even into their later lives. Before these new policies, I believe that those teens purchasing these products at the age of 18 were demonstrating their first stage of adulthood. Unfortunately, this act could easily have more cons than pros in their lives whether they realize it or not. The use of tobacco is one of the leading global diseases proving the inevitable cause of sickness, death, and disability. In many countries, smoking is often referred to as the silent killer. The probability of being affected negatively is high and not in the favor of a long-term smokers that they will not suffer from the inevitable effects of smoking.  It is very unfortunate but these are the issues that can. It is taken lightly due to the consequences that will follow. In a statistical perspective, more than 70 percent of the billions of smokers across the world come for low or middle-income homes. This just raises the hardships of those families by taking money out of their pockets as well as making it even more difficult to decrease the cost of healthcare.

Due to the heavy amounts of issues that have come to the surface across the globe, a lot of organizations are beginning to take action to help ease the issues correlating with tobacco usage. The World Bank Group’s Global Tobacco Control Program helps nations in structuring policies and expanding tobacco taxes to accomplish general health goals by increasing costs, decreasing smoking, and preventing young adults from taking part. Equity is also enhanced by the reduction of health risks related to tobacco and also because of high out-of-pocket pocket expenditures among the lowest income population groups. The Global Tobacco Control Program aims to decrease the consumption of these products by taking an economic approach to the issue. Raising the taxes on these products is a major step in the right direction by forcing those to have to make a harder decision based on the amount of income they are dealing with. This is a really good thing for those who are anti-smoking due to the high amounts of consumers from low to middle-income families that spend much of their money on these products. By assisting countries to create these reforms, this program will be very beneficial when it comes to the end goal of diminishing tobacco users worldwide. Another application with a very similar goal and mind would be the Global Tobacco Surveillance System Data. This an “application that monitors and displays data from four tobacco-related surveys conducted around the world.” Within these surveys, the associations can get a better grasp or understanding of which part of the population is driven to these products. This application uses databases, country reports, fact sheets, and different publications to obtain and review the information needed to report to higher organizations. Another convention with a similar goal would be the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. “The  pre-eminent global tobacco control instrument, containing legally binding obligations for its Parties, setting the foundation for reducing both demand for and supply of tobacco products and providing a comprehensive direction for tobacco control policy at all levels.” Similar to the World Bank Group’s Global Tobacco Control program, this instrument is used to assist countries in making strategies to reduce the high amounts of usage. The Institute of Medicine and the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention propose state tobacco control programs could very well be considered health investments. “The claims are further supported by a recent research in which researchers were able to quantify the link between comprehensive tobacco control programs and a decrease in adult smoking – observing a decline in prevalence from 29.5 percent in 1985 to 18.6 percent in 2003.” The United States National Tobacco Control Program focuses on national efforts to diminish tobacco-related diseases. It focuses on three major points which include eliminating exposure, eliminating secondhand smoke, and prevention. 

When it comes to diminishing tobacco usage in a global manner or perspective, one must understand the two types of interventions needed for this entire process to work. The first one would be the Demand- Side Interventions. Demand-Side interventions such as price increases, advertising and promotion bans, and smoking restrictions are effective at reducing tobacco-attributable mortality and morbidity. The goal for these interventions are quite obvious. Making it harder for the consumer to get ahold of these products to reduce the negative impact. For example, the tax reforms to increase tariffs on these products would be a demand-side intervention. The United States raising the age restriction for purchasing these products would be another one. Another example would be the “Effect of the Tobacco Price Support Program on Cigarette Consumption in the United States. Results estimated that the tobacco price support program increased the price of tobacco leaves by 36 cents per pound. This higher tobacco price translates to an l cent increase in the price of a pack of cigarettes and an estimated 0.21% reduction in cigarette consumption”. Demand-side interventions tend to have the biggest impact due to how much they can affect the consumers. The other type of intervention that plays a part in decreasing tobacco usage would be the Supply side Intervention. “While interventions to reduce demand for tobacco are likely to succeed, measures to reduce tobacco supply are less promising.” It is unfortunate but at the same time, it is just simply true because there will always be an incentive for a supplier to enter the market if one gets shut down. Hypothetically speaking, if the largest tobacco industry in the world somehow shut down, then there would be a line of startup industries in the world lined up to take its place. The same issues arise for the farming side of things. Incentives for growing Tobacco alone is already much higher than any other crop in the world due to the high amount of usage and dependability. 

It is very clear to many that the world is well aware of the negative impact that tobacco use has brought to many. Although tobacco usage has been declining, it should not be taken lightly. The statistics alone should be enough to make these products disappear. The participation of countries with creating new policies and interventions and using them to decrease supply and demand play a major role in the reduction which will only bring more good than bad in an economical perspective as well as overall health. I truly believe that in times like this Knowledge is key. The best way to truly diminish tobacco use is to teach the effects at a very young age so nobody is ever surprised of the outcome in the early stages of their lives. Countries must initiate educational programs to discuss the ramifications that come with the use of tobacco before it’s too late and more individuals end up as just another statistic.

References

1. CDC. “About GTSS | CDC.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019, www.cdc.gov/tobacco/global/gtss/index.htm.
2. Leung, C. M., Leung, A. K., Hon, K. L., & Kong, A. Y. (2009). Fighting tobacco smoking--a difficult but not impossible battle. International journal of environmental research and public health, 6(1), 69-83.
3. MarketLine Industry Profile: Tobacco in Global. (2018). Tobacco Industry Profile: Global, N.PAG. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.fau.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=buh&AN=131917835&site=ehost-live
4. Ping Zhang, Husten, C., & Giovino, G. (2000). Effect of the Tobacco Price Support Program on Cigarette Consumption in the United States: An Updated Model. American Journal of Public Health, 90(5), 746–750. https://doi-org.ezproxy.fau.edu/10.2105/AJPH.90.5.746
5. “Tobacco Control.” World Health Organization, World Health Organization, 18 May 2016, www.who.int/gho/tobacco/en/.