As Guyana prepares to join the rest of the world to observe World No Tobacco Day CARPHA Executive Director Dr Joy St John has said that tobacco use remains a public health problem in the Caribbean.
Observed on May 31 each year, World No Tobacco Day aims to inform the public of the dangers of using tobacco, the business practices of tobacco companies, and what people can do to claim their right to health, and healthy living and to protect future generations.
This year’s observances were held under the theme: “Commit to Quit” and is apt and timely as increasingly we are seeing the tobacco industry utilising more innovative and attractive ways to lure young people into smoking.
According to CARPHA data cigarette smoking is the main form of tobacco use, and men are far more likely to use cigarettes than Caribbean women. The prevalence of current tobacco smoking ranges from 13.3% in Barbados to 23% in Guyana for adult males and from 7.7% in Barbados to 12.6% in Guyana for adult women.
Its data also shows that in Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago adolescents use more e-cigarettes than conventional cigarettes.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), more than 40 million young people aged 13-15, have already started to use tobacco. This, by any measure is quite alarming, and one can only imagine the kind of impact this would have on our young people, if urgent action is not taken to discourage such actions.
For this year’s observances, CARPHA has embarked to highlight that quitting smoking is one of the most important steps a person can take to improve their health.
People who quit smoking, the CARPHA data shows after having a heart attack reduce their chances of having another heart attack by 50%.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) the benefits of quitting tobacco are almost immediate. In data released for World No Tobacco Day the WHO highlighting that within 20 minutes of quitting, a person’s heart rate and blood pressure drop and within 12 hours, the carbon monoxide level in the blood drops to normal.
Dr. Kavita Singh; Guyana’s Chronic Diseases Coordinator and Secretary of the Tobacco Control Council lamented the fact that the tobacco industry is capitalising on new trends, targeting young persons. She noted that it is during this point in time that ‘big tobacco’ is using strategic marketing techniques to try to get young people to experiment with the new and emerging novel products like the e-cigarettes and the heated tobacco products.
While there is a myth that these products are safe, they are equally as harmful as the smoke of an actual cigarette. According to WHO, smoking e-cigarettes and hookah pipes – marketed as “safer” alternatives to conventional cigarettes – is harmful, addictive, and increases the risk of developing heart and lung disease.
Of note is that these products have the same tobacco which has cancer-causing cells among other deadly emissions. The WHO notes that most of the countless flavours on offer – such as bubble-gum and candy – are there to attract youngsters who at least double their chance of smoking cigarettes later in life.
It should be stated that tobacco is responsible for over 7 million deaths per year worldwide. This includes approximately 900,000 persons who die from diseases related to exposure to tobacco smoke. Over 40% of all tobacco-related deaths are from lung diseases like cancer, chronic respiratory diseases and tuberculosis.
Guyana’s tobacco control law, enacted in 2017, follows several of the articles of the WHO Convention and mandates the adoption and implementation of a series of tobacco control policies that make it one of the most complete tobacco control laws. These include: 100% smoke free environments in all indoor public spaces, indoor work spaces, public transportation and specified outdoor spaces to protect people from exposure to tobacco smoke; a ban on all forms of advertising and promotion and sponsorship of tobacco products; health warnings featured on 60% of tobacco product packaging, including images. It also includes a ban on the sale of tobacco products to and by minors, prohibition on vending machines sales; and a ban on the manufacture and sales of toys and candies, and any other goods in the form of tobacco products.
However, there is still much work to be done to win the battle against tobacco as 78% of all deaths here are caused by non-communicable diseases (NCDs); some of which we all know are strongly related to tobacco use.
Having the necessary legislation in place is a good starting point, but there are many other challenges which health authorities here must address if Guyana is to really reduce the number of persons dying or becoming ill due to tobacco use or exposure. These challenges relate to monitoring and compliance, stricter enforcement of the legislation to ensure that the population is protected from the dangers of tobacco use and more recently tackling the newer forms of cigarette substitutes which are proving to be very attractive to youths.
