2023-05-29 20:45:50
Tobacco crops are abundant in the world. In some countries they even have subsidies for their plantations, howeverthe tobacco industry continues to affect millions of people. The WHO warned that tobacco continues to be lethal.
“Tobacco causes eight million deaths a year, but governments around the world spend millions to support tobacco plantations”, said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the World Health Organization (WHO). “By choosing to grow food over tobacco, we prioritize health, We preserve ecosystems and strengthen food security for all”added the WHO spokesman.
Of the deaths reported by the WHO, more than seven million are due to direct tobacco use and around 1.2 million are a consequence of the exposure of non-smokers to second-hand smoke.
For this reason, within the framework of World No Tobacco Day, which will be celebrated on May 31, WHO urged governments to stop subsidizing tobacco growing and support more sustainable crops that could feed millions of people. And it is that more than 300 million people worldwide face acute food insecurity, while more than Three million hectares of land in more than 120 countries are used to grow a deadly plant, tobacco, even in countries where there is starvation.
A new WHO report, titled Grow food, not tobacco (Let’s grow food, not tobacco), sheds light on the consequences of growing tobacco and the benefits of moving to more sustainable food crops for farmers, communities, economies, the environment and the world at large.
The report also denounces the tobacco industry for trapping farmers in a vicious cycle of debt, propagate tobacco cultivation by exaggerating its economic benefits and lobbying through agricultural front groups.
tobacco cultivation causes disease to the farmers themselves and it is estimated that more than a million children work on plantations of tobacco, which deprives them of the opportunity to go to school.
“Tobacco is not only a colossal threat that fuels food insecurity, it is also a threat to health in general, particularly that of tobacco farmers. Farmers are exposed to chemical pesticidestobacco smoke and as much nicotine as 50 cigarettesleading to diseases such as chronic lung conditions and nicotine poisoning,” said Dr Ruediger Krech, WHO Director of Health Promotion.
Tobacco cultivation is a global problem that, until now, was located in Asia and South America, but the latest data shows the expansion of tobacco companies towards Africa. Since 2005, the volume of land dedicated to tobacco cultivation has increased by almost 20% across Africa.
Every year, World No Tobacco Day honors the people who make a difference in the fight against tobacco. This year, one of the laureates, Mrs. Sprina Robi Chacha, A Kenyan farmer, she was recognized for not only switching from tobacco farming to beans, a food rich in protein, but also for teaching hundreds of farmers how to change crops to favor the birth of a healthier community.
The 182 parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control have committed to “(…) promote economically viable alternatives for tobacco workers and growers.” Ending tobacco growing subsidies and supporting healthier crops is crucial for countries to meet this obligation.
By choosing to grow food over tobacco, we give priority to health, preserve ecosystems and increase food security for all, stressed the WHO.
The deadly consequences of smoking
According to the National Cancer Institute, “There is no degree of smoking that does not cause harm. Smoking just one cigarette a day for a lifetime can cause smoking-related cancers (lung, bladder, and pancreas).”
According to the WHO, Tobacco is the leading preventable cause of disease, disability and premature death in the world.. In Europe, smoking causes 1.2 million deaths each year. It is directly related to the appearance of multiple diseases (of which 20 are different types of cancer, according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in its report “World Cancer Report 2020”) and is the main cause of a good part of deaths from lung cancer and more than 50% of cardiovascular diseases.
Among the diseases related to tobacco, the following stand out:
Chronic bronchitis.
pulmonary emphysema.
Lung cancer.
Arterial hypertension.
Coronary heart disease (angina or myocardial infarction).
Cerebrovascular accidents (thrombosis, hemorrhages or embolisms).
Gastrointestinal ulcer.
Chronic gastritis.
Laryngeal cancer.
Oropharyngeal cancer.
Renal or urinary tract cancer.
Sexual impotence in the male.
In women, tobacco use increases:
-The probability of having a heart attack is multiplied by ten in women who smoke and use oral contraceptives.
-Among women who smoke, menopause occurs an average of between two and three years earlier than in women who have never smoked.
-Increases the risk of osteoporosis.
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