Over five million people die in a year due to diseases related to tobacco addiction

By Dr. Eugene DSouza, Moodubelle
Bellevision Media Network

31 May 2011: Tobacco addiction has been one of the main causes of millions of deaths in the world. According to an estimate more than 5 million people die every year due to diseases related to tobacco addiction which is more than the deaths caused by HIV, tuberculosis and malaria put together.

 

The abuse of tobacco and its harmful effects on the health of the people has prompted the World Health Organization (WHO), a specialised agency of the United Nations Organisation (UNO) to observe May 31 every year since 1987, as “World No Tobacco Day”. On this day special emphasis is laid on a worldwide effort to encourage people to quit using tobacco by spreading awareness of the dangers of tobacco addiction.

 

 

It is said that tobacco consumption by human beings had started as early as 5000 to 3000 BC. It was introduced to Eurasia somewhere around sixteenth century AD through the common trade routes. Though it was known that there was some link between tobacco consumption and failing health, tobacco addicts seldom gave up tobacco consumption.

 

It was in late 1920s that German scientists found out the link between tobacco smoking and lung cancer which led to first anti-smoking campaign in modern history. However, during the Second World War the campaign lost its steam.  In 1950, health authorities once again highlighted the link between smoking and cancer which was supported by successive researches in this field. As scientific evidence confirmed the relationship between tobacco consumption and cancer in 1980s,  political action seemed necessary to curb  tobacco consumption. While the developed world has succeeded in reducing the menace of tobacco consumption, the developing world still struggles to contain this practice.

 

It has been commonly observed that smokers begin during adolescence or early adulthood. Usually during the early stages, smoking provides pleasurable sensations, serving as a source of positive reinforcement. However, being in the habit of smoking for several years, a person becomes addicted to tobacco and finds it difficult to give up due to withdrawal symptoms as he or she develops psychological and physiological dependence on tobacco.

 

Tobacco products are  made entirely or partly of leaf tobacco as raw material, which are intended to be smoked, sucked, chewed or snuffed. All contain the highly addictive psychoactive ingredient, nicotine.

 

 

Tobacco use is one of the main risk factors for a number of chronic diseases, including cancer, lung diseases, and cardiovascular diseases.  A number of countries have legislation restricting tobacco advertising, and regulating who can buy and use tobacco products, and where people can smoke.

 

The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) is the world’s foremost tobacco control instrument.  This was the first treaty ever negotiated under the auspices of WHO which can be considered as an important achievement in the advancement of public health.  This treaty has been In force since 2005,  and has become  one of the most rapidly and widely accepted  treaties in the history of the United Nations, with more than 170 countries having signed it. An evidence-based treaty, it reaffirms the right of all people to the highest standard of health and provides new legal dimensions for cooperation in tobacco control.

 

On  January  13, 2011, The World Health Organization (WHO) selected  ‘The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control’ (WHO FCTC) as the theme of this year’s  “World No Tobacco Day” that is being observed on Tuesday, May 31, 2011.

 

World No Tobacco Day 2011 has been designed to highlight the treaty’s overall importance, to stress obligations of the signatories under the treaty and to promote the essential role of the Conference of the Parties and WHO in supporting countries’ efforts to meet those obligations. The Conference of the Parties is the treaty’s central organ and governing body.

 

 

Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death. This year, more than 5 million people will die from a tobacco-related heart attack, stroke, cancer, lung ailment or other disease. That does not include the more than 600,000 people, more than a quarter of them children, who will die from exposure to second-hand smoke. The annual death toll from the global epidemic of tobacco use could rise to 8 million a year by 2030. Having killed 100 million people during the 20th century, tobacco use could kill 1 billion during the 21st century.

 

The WHO FCTC confers legal obligations on those countries which have signed the treaty.  Among these obligations are those to: Protect public health policies from commercial and other vested interests of the tobacco industry; adopt price and tax measures to reduce the demand for tobacco; protect people from exposure to tobacco smoke; regulate the contents of tobacco products;   regulate tobacco product disclosures;  regulate the packaging and labelling of tobacco products; warn people about the dangers of tobacco;  ban tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship; offer people help to end their addiction to tobacco;  control the illicit trade in tobacco products; ban sales to and by minors; and  support economically viable alternative to tobacco growing.