Moment of truth is here: either we deliver on sustainable development where no one is left behind, or end tobacco, now.
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Tobacco kills over 80 million people worldwide every year. Tobacco remains a deadly, and yet entirely preventable, risk factor for a host of diseases-from the world's biggest infectious disease killer tuberculosis to major non-communicable diseases (NCDs) that account for over 70% deaths globally, Whether it is the world's biggest killer cardiovascular diseases (heart disease and stroke) or cancers or diabetes or chronic respiratory diseases, it is tobacco which is a common risk factor to all. More alarmingly, it is also linked to COVID-19.
unimaginable devastation
The UN chief called upon governments to act now on COVID-19 or face "unimaginable devastation". Tobacco increases the risk of serious outcomes of COVID-19, including death. One immediate step the governments must take is to ban all forms of tobacco (including e-cigarettes, vaping or other heated tobacco products, hookah etc) and take strongest possible measures to hold the industry liable (legally and financially) - it is now a human rights imperative.
COVID-19 and tobacco pandemics
Governments have promised to end infectious diseases like TB and prevent untimely deaths due to NCDs by one-third in the next 126 months - but one of the biggest roadblocks to progress on these goals is tobacco. COVID-19 pandemic has made us all realize how challenging it could be to eliminate an infectious disease like COVID-19 (or TB). But tobacco is an industry-propelled disaster causing havoc that is entirely avoidable. It is possible to end tobacco, now.
Tobacco also jeopardizes our progress on a range of sustainable development
goals, including a crippling economic loss of US$ 1.4 trillion every year. With
the looming threat of economic toll that COVID-19 pandemic may have on our
economies, we can help salvage this financial crisis by averting unnecessary
economic (and health) catastrophe caused by tobacco.
Industry on the other hand is bent upon protecting its markets: the tobacco
industry is selling new products such as e-cigarettes and heated tobacco
products to create new generations of addicts, revealed a new report
of the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA), "Today's teens,
tomorrow's customers: Baiting youths with new tobacco products to create a new
generation of addicts". "Like they did with cigarettes, the tobacco industry is
targeting youths with slick advertising, flavours, and technology of
e-cigarettes," said Dr Ulysses Dorotheo, Executive Director of SEATCA.
Dr Tara Singh Bam, Deputy Regional Director for Asia Pacific,
International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union) shared
that in its 2019 report on the global tobacco epidemic, the World Health
Organization (WHO) noted that there is insufficient evidence to support the use
of e-cigarettes as a population-level tobacco cessation intervention to help
people quit conventional tobacco use and also noted that these products are
undoubtedly harmful.
Several government leaders are worried of the industry tricks to deceive and
lure children, youth and adults alike. "The sale of vaping devices might increase
the number of young people who smoke, as vaping among non-smoking youth can be
a gateway to traditional cigarettes" said Dr Bima Arya Sugiarto, Mayor
of Bogor City, Indonesia and Co-Chair of APCAT (Asia Pacific Cities Alliance
for Tobacco Control and NCDs Prevention). "Tobacco use has been de-normalised
in Balanga and a generation of young adults are growing up in a smoke-free
environment. The aggressive marketing of these new products threatens the
health of the community" said Francis Garcia, Mayor of Balanga City,
Philippines, and APCAT co-chair.
Former Health Minister of Nepal, Khagraj Adhikari who is a senior Member
of Parliament and Chair of APCAT Parliamentarians (Asia Pacific
Parliamentarians' Caucus for Tobacco Control and NCDs Prevention), alerted:
"Vaping has gained popularity among the youth in Nepal. It was introduced to
the market with no evidence as a healthy alternative and a way to quit smoking.
Awareness about its potentially harmful effects is still low. We must enact
policies to ban e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products to prevent more
unnecessary death."
With a devastating impact on health security globally of the pandemic, there is
no excuse anymore for not banning all forms of tobacco, including
e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products, hookah, chewing tobacco, etc.
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