2024-10-03 00:11:26
What if we could protect everyone born in the world between 2006 and 2010 from the interests of the tobacco industry so that they never start smoking? According to a study published in ?The Lancet Public Health‘Banning the sale of tobacco to younger generations could prevent 1.2 million deaths from lung cancer worldwide. The investigation, conducted by experts from the A University of Santiago de Compostela and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), highlights that creating a tobacco-free generation could have a profound impact on public health.
The first-of-its-kind simulation study predicts that banning the purchase of cigarettes and tobacco products for those born between 2006 and 2010 would reduce future lung cancer deaths in men by nearly half (45.8 percent). ) and about a third in women (30.9). %) within this cohort. This ban, if implemented, could prevent nearly two-thirds (65.1%) of deaths in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and 61.1% of deaths in high-income countries.
“Lung cancer remains a leading cause of global mortality, and two-thirds of these deaths are linked to smoking, a preventable risk factor,” he says. Julia Rey Brandarizof the University of Santiago de Compostela. “Creating a tobacco-free generation could save large numbers of lives and reduce pressure on health systems which currently face enormous challenges in tackling smoking-related problems.”
But according to this model, the impact of this policy would not be uniform across the world.
In the case of men, the greatest number of preventable deaths would occur in upper-middle income countries, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe, where up to 74.3% of deaths could be avoided. Among women, the greatest impact would be seen in high-income countries, with a 77.7% reduction in Western Europe.
This type of innovative legislation could represent a crucial change in reducing lung cancer mortality in the long term
Isabelle Soerjomataramof IARC, highlights the importance of this approach in low- and middle-income countries, where smoking is still common and the youth population is growing. “Eliminating smoking in these regions could save many more lives, given the demographic context and high rates of tobacco use,” he noted.
Although the study presents promising results, the authors warn of possible difficulties in implementing these policies.
black market
The existence of a black market in tobacco and poor enforcement of the ban are risks that could reduce the effectiveness of the measures. Additionally, a lack of data in some regions limited the study’s predictions to 82 countries, and factors such as e-cigarette use were not considered.
At the moment, No country prohibits the sale of tobacco to new generationsalthough New Zealand had attempted to implement a similar law for those born after 2009, it was recently repealed. This type of innovative legislation could represent a crucial change in reducing long-term lung cancer mortality.
Ultimately, the study suggests that a comprehensive policy aimed at creating a tobacco-free generation could have a transformative impact on global public health, preventing a significant proportion of lung cancer deaths and reducing the burden that smoking places on healthcare systems.
Although lung cancer is not the only disease caused by the consumption of tobacco and nicotine products, says Josep Maria Suelves, director of the Service for the prevention and control of smoking and accidents in the Public Health Agency of CataloniaThe findings of this study help us understand why smoking continues to be a leading preventable cause of poverty, suffering and health loss worldwide, causing the deaths of eight million humans every year.
Throughout the 21st century, remember this expert National Committee for Smoking PreventionTHE World Health Organization and numerous States have begun to promote tobacco prevention and control policies which are bearing fruit in some countries, the most advanced of which are beginning to consider the possibility of limiting access to tobacco to those born after a certain date.
In Spain, most of these measures are necessary and need to start being implemented urgently.
«Imagine a new phase of public health policies to reach the first generations without tobacco – what is known as End of the game– It is not a chimera nor can we rely exclusively on the effectiveness of the ban on the sale of tobacco to those born after a certain date, but it requires continuing to promote other measures of proven effectiveness such as increasing the price of tobacco products, introduction of simple packaging, the expansion of spaces where smoking is prohibited or the regulation of new tobacco and nicotine products with which tobacco multinationals try to attract new drug addicts in adolescence. Suelves points out Scientific multimedia center.
In Spain, he concludes, “where tobacco causes more than 50,000 deaths per year, most of these measures are necessary and must begin to be implemented urgently, as requested by the scientific community and announced by public institutions”.
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