CNS: second hand smoke

Showing posts with label second hand smoke. Show all posts

We cannot turn a blind eye to preventable epidemics if we are to deliver on SDGs

The epidemic-proportion diseases and untimely deaths caused by tobacco use are entirely preventable. Likewise, we have science-based tools and approaches to find all TB cases, treat all of them and prevent transmission of the disease. When even one TB or tobacco death is a death too many, how can one explain 1.25 million TB deaths and over 8 million tobacco-related deaths in 2023 alone? How can TB disease, that is entirely preventable (and curable), become the deadliest infectious disease worldwide?

New study findings show that the number of tobacco smokers in Cambodia has declined by one-fifth during the 2014-2021 period. However, to end tobacco use which remains the single largest preventable cause of diseases and untimely deaths, stronger urgent actions are needed in Cambodia, and globally.

[हिंदी] More evidence from scientific research is pouring in to show that graphic pictorial health warnings on all tobacco products are very effective in preventing children and youngsters from starting to consume tobacco, and in encouraging existing tobacco users to quit the lethal addiction. This is not only great news for public health and social justice, but is also another serious blow to the tobacco industry that is selling a product that kills one out of every two of its users as per the World Health Organization (WHO) - the United Nations health agency.

Tobacco kills over 8 million people every year worldwide, with over 235,000 deaths occuring in Indonesia alone. Each of these untimely deaths could have been averted because we have evidence-backed measures to not only control tobacco use, but also to accelerate progress towards ending the tobacco-caused multiple epidemics of several preventable diseases. Tobacco use is a major common risk factor for not only the biggest cause of death worldwide- cardiovascular diseases (heart diseases and stroke)- but also for a range of other non-communicable diseases (such as, cancers, diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases, among others) as well as for communicable diseases (such as tuberculosis and Covid-19).

This Podcast features Dr Mayank Somani and Dr Ajaya Kumar, two renowned medical experts, who were speakers for the Sustainable Development e-Talks (#SDGtalks) - a special series, co-hosted by CNS and Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Indore from World Health Day (7 April 2020) to World Environment Day (5 June 2020). They spoke on "health impacts of tobacco use."

Be welcome to listen on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn, aCast, Podtail, BluBrry, and other podcast streaming platforms.

Implementing tobacco control laws in Nigeria is a necessity

Ekwi Ajide, CNS Correspondent, Nigeria

Despite being a major risk factor for many non-communicable and other diseases tobacco use has been on the rise in Nigeria. Also, as tobacco consumption is socially accepted in the country, it makes matters worse.

Secondhand smoke is bad for the heart

Dr Amitava Acharyya, CNS Correspondent, India

It has been known for long a time now that active cigarette smoking is an established risk factor for heart diseases. However, a large percentage of us are ignorant of the toxic effects of secondhand smoke—inhalation of cigarette, bidi, hookah smoke or inhalation of smoke produced by burning of coal or wood as fuel for cooking. This second hand smoking or passive smoking too is harmful and can lead to many diseases—like coronary obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, stroke, hypertension, cancer, peripheral vascular disease, sudden infant death syndrome, low birth weight etc.

Effective tobacco control is an imperative to deliver on #SDGs

Prof Rama Kant's presentation at the World No Tobacco Day 2017 Webinar by bobbyramakant on Scribd

Protecting people from tobacco is a public health imperative

Pritha Roy Choudhury, CNS Correspondent, India

A chance meeting with Rosalina Diengdoh (name changed), a 50 year old woman from the north eastern state of Meghalaya in India, who is in Delhi for the treatment of her son, reaffirmed my doubts regarding the impact of pictorial warnings on packed tobacco products to dissuade people from using the same. It was in April 2016, after a two year battle, that the Indian government finally acceded to quadruple in size the graphic health warnings on tobacco packaging.

India must stub out attractive packaging of tobacco products

Urvashi Prasad, CNS Correspondent, India

Globally there are one billion people who use tobacco, 80% of whom live in low- and middle- income countries. Tobacco use is estimated to claim the lives of over 6 million people every year. An additional 600,000 lose their lives to second-hand smoke. In fact using tobacco is the single biggest preventable risk factor for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) which are responsible for nearly 63% of all premature deaths globally.

‘I can, we can’ make a difference in cancer control

Catherine Mwauyakufa, CNS Correspondent, Zimbabwe

Human beings were created in a superior way from any other creations in so much as that they can reason and have power over their actions. However, some of their actions do not exhibit that element to reason, which leaves the human beings to suffer some of the tragic, yet avoidable consequences. Cancer is a non communicable disease and World Cancer Day is observed on February 4 and Zimbabwe joins the rest of the world to commemorate the day. The theme for the next three years is: “I can, we can”.

World Cancer Day 2016: Are we beginning to forget?

Alice Tembe, CNS Correspondent, Swaziland

World Cancer Day will take place on February 4th 2016 and the commemoration is aimed at raising awareness and promoting reflection about what we can do collectively and individually to "reduce the global burden of cancer”. This comes at a time when many other loud world concerns have begun to take centre stage— the barbaric gun control debate, eyeing the teenage population as potential criminals and terrorists, and the daring climate changes leading strongly to economic downfall and rising costs of living.

Join hands to make the dream of smoke-free society, a reality!

Shobha Shukla, Citizen News Service - CNS

Recently tobacco control representatives from 6 countries-- Indonesia, Timor-Leste, Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam and Nepal - met in Bali, Indonesia, to take part in a workshop on 'Enforcement and Monitoring of Pictorial Health Warnings' organized by International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union), in collaboration with School of Public Health, Udayana University. The two day meet exposed the participants to a rich, cross-functional environment for sharing experiences with others working in tobacco control, with a view to improve approaches to planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of pictorial health warnings (PHW).

Dr Tara Singh Bam, The Union
Photo credit: CNS: citizen-news.org

[CNS Video] Despite strong evidence associating tobacco use with lung diseases, specific lung health programmes are yet to get fully integrated with tobacco control services. "When we provide tobacco cessation services in TB clinics we also reduce the risk of TB, asthma, cancers, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and other lung health diseases attributed to tobacco use significantly - not just for that person but also for those adversely impacted by her or his secondhand smoke! This is also a way to link health promotion from an individual to family and then to wider community" said Dr Tara Singh Bam, Technical Advisor (Tobacco Control) at the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union).

Tobacco control and human rights: Any linkages?

Shobha Shukla, Citizen News Service - CNS

Image credit: CNS: citizen-news.org

Tobacco control actions need to underline that health is an important human rights issue and a willful denial of it by anyone—whether by the tobacco industry or by the tobacco consumers--is a breach of right to good health. The recently concluded 16th World Conference on Tobacco or Health (WCTOH 2015) stressed upon a human rights based approach to tobacco control at individual, community and country levels.

Owen Nyaka, CNS Correspondent, Malawi
People all over the world are living in homes with poor indoor air quality. This can have profound health impacts. According to the World Health Organisation, 4.3 million people die prematurely every year from illnesses attributed to household air pollution. These illnesses include pneumonia, stroke, ischaemic heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and lung cancer. There is also evidence of links between household air pollution and low birth weight, tuberculosis, cataract, nasopharyngeal and laryngeal cancers.