Latest news with #tobaccoControl
News24
04-06-2025
- Business
- News24
Smoking prevalence in Sub-Saharan Africa shows the urgent need for effective regulation
A new academic study on smoking rates in Sub-Saharan Africa has given cause for concern and shows the need for an urgent review of existing approaches to tobacco control in the region. Worldwide, more than 1.1 billion people smoked tobacco in 2019, resulting in about 8 million deaths. 1 in 5 adults worldwide are consuming tobacco. Globally, over 22 000 people die from tobacco use or second-hand smoke exposure every day — that equates to one person every 4 seconds. (Ref: The Tobacco Body, 31 May 2019 Publication. While smoking rates have declined globally, progress in less developed regions, including Sub-Saharan Africa, has been slower. Adolescent smoking remains a concern, with a 23.5% lifetime prevalence in Sub-Saharan Africa recorded in 2018 and no updated data to date. To address the deficiency in data, Belete H, et al1 searched databases for peer-reviewed observational online studies published from January 2018 to 2023 and calculated the weighted pooled smoking prevalence using meta-regression analysis. A total of 10 310 unique records were screened and 340 studies were included for full-text screening, of which 195 studies were retained for the meta-analysis, amounting to 1,3 million participants. The findings showed overall lifetime smoking prevalence in Sub-Saharan Africa at 8.8% (95% confidence interval [CI] 5.1, 13.4%), with 10.8% (CI 4.0%, 19.9%) having smoked in the past year and 5.8% in the past 6 months. Regional disparities in adult smoking rates revealed notable trends: the southern SSA region showed a lifetime prevalence of 37.1%, while South Africa reported a 12-month prevalence of 59.2% and a 6-month prevalence of 19.6%. Namibia's lifetime prevalence stood at 28.9%. This is comparable to the lifetime prevalence in the United States, which is 19% and regularly tracked and monitored through population data. However, the SSA region confronts substantial obstacles, including insufficient healthcare resources, inadequate implementation of tobacco control policies, and the burden of hosting two-thirds of the world's most impoverished populations. As the authors noted: 'these results underscore the growing rates of tobacco use in Sub-Saharan Africa, reinforcing the idea that high smoking prevalence is increasingly concentrated in low-income regions like Sub-Saharan Africa. Without collective action, smoking rates in SSA could rise, triggering serious health and economic issues. The smoking epidemic is shifting toward low-income countries. Without urgent policy action, SSA risks falling short of the WHO's 2025 goal to cut tobacco use by 30%.' 2 They recommend, among others, that countries in the region strengthen their tobacco monitoring systems and adopt innovative strategies for smoking prevention. This lack of comprehensive data collection not only hinders the precise assessment of smoking prevalence but also masks the full scope of smoking-related public health challenges within the SSA region. It is critical to have consistent enforcement of international tobacco control measures to effectively reduce smoking rates in all population groups. Another part of the solution is suggested by research from Australia and New Zealand which compares vaping and smoking trends in the two countries in the context of their different regulatory policies.3 The study shows that between 2016 and 2023, the smoking rate in New Zealand (from 14.5% to 6.8%) fell twice as fast than in Australia (from 12.2% to 8.3%). With a significant decline in the disadvantaged and indigenious populations. Smoking prevalence fell three times faster in New Zealand's lowest socioeconomic group than in the same population in Australia (12% per year vs 4% per year). New Zealand's liberal vaping laws were linked to faster smoking decline compared to Australia. The authors note that the largest smoking reductions in both countries were in young adults, who also reported the highest vaping rates, while youth smoking rates declined in both countries to very low levels. Turning to the contrasting regulatory approaches between the two countries, they argue that Australia has taken a 'highly restrictive precautionary approach to regulating nicotine vaping products by classifying nicotine e-liquid as a prescription-only 'unapproved' medicine since 2011'. Vapers could only buy nicotine e-liquid legally with a doctor's prescription, but this prescription model has resulted in low rates of prescribing, low compliance by vapers and the emergence of a large illicit market controlled by criminal networks, which supplies over 90% of vaping products. 'In contrast, New Zealand has adopted a more risk-proportionate approach. It has endorsed vaping as a tool for smoking cessation and encouraged its use among adults unable to quit smoking through other means.'4 According to Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) New Zealand, there is minimal evidence of a significant illicit market for vaping products in that country. Australia's stringent medical model for vaping has unintentionally nurtured a flourishing and increasingly violent black market. At present, over 90% of vaping products available in Australia are sourced from unlawful channels, devoid of safety regulations and readily accessible to young individuals. Recent reports have revealed that more than 220 vape and tobacco shops across the nation have been targeted in firebombing attacks. The findings of the study suggest that vaping has not served as a gateway to smoking. Instead, it appears to have steered young individuals away from the use of combustible tobacco products. The Australian medical model for vaping serves as a cautionary tale about the complexities of regulation for policymakers in Sub-Saharan Africa. Without addressing the black market's proliferation and its accompanying social harms, the intended benefits of strict vaping policies may be overshadowed by their unintended consequences. A more nuanced, evidence-based strategy could be pivotal in achieving the twin goals of public health and safety and may contribute to more rapid progress in reducing smoking prevalence in the region. Insert new reference: Ref: The Tobacco Body, 31 May 2019 Publication. 1. Belete H, et al. Tobacco smoking in Sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Drug Alcohol Rev. Feb 2025; 1-13. 2. Belete H, et al. Tobacco smoking in Sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Drug Alcohol Rev. Feb 2025; 1-13. 3. Mendelsohn CP et al. Do the differing vaping and smoking trends in Australia and New Zealand reflect different regulatory policies. Addiction, 2025 4. Mendelsohn CP et al. Do the differing vaping and smoking trends in Australia and New Zealand reflect different regulatory policies. Addiction, 2025 About HRiSSA: The Harm Reduction Advocacy in Sub-Saharan Africa society (HRiSSA) is a non-profit organisation dedicated to delivering appropriate, quality patient care supported with the latest scientific evidence based data. The society is administered by harm reduction experts and as such has a latitudinous collaboration across both African and global harm reduction focus groups and research networks. Patient advocacy and Public Health are an integral focus of the Society and to this end, information and resources are made available to patients and their families on all aspects of harm reduction in Sub-Saharan Africa. For more information, please contact : office@ (
Japan Times
03-06-2025
- Business
- Japan Times
Global crises disrupt effort to get millions to quit smoking
The COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and wars have combined to hamper global governments' plans to reduce tobacco use, derailing efforts to get an estimated 95 million people to stop smoking, a report endorsed by 57 campaign groups said on Friday. Governments had planned to reduce smoking rates among people over 15 by 30% between 2010 and 2025 as part of an action plan tied to global sustainable development targets agreed in 2015. But the timeline to achieve the goal was extended an extra five years in 2024 as other priorities pushed countries to divert resources away from implementing a World Health Organization treaty on tobacco control signed by 168 countries. "This ... delay represents an estimated 95 million additional tobacco users, who would otherwise have quit by 2025," said the report, submitted to the U.N. Economic and Social Council, which oversees global sustainable development. While governments have succeeded in reducing the number of smokers, the failure to hit the 30% reduction target means that 1,207,800,000 people are still smoking globally, instead of the target of 1,112,400,000, based on smoking rates and population figures provided in the report. Published by Action on Smoking and Health Canada and endorsed by the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, Cancer Research U.K. and others, the report warned the delays could result in millions of additional deaths from tobacco use if sustained. The U.N. has already acknowledged that funding shortfalls, geopolitical tensions and pandemic-linked disruptions have pushed the world off track on most of the 17 wide-ranging sustainable development goals. Those goals aim, among other things, to reduce poverty and hunger and increase access to healthcare and education. The groups that endorsed ASH Canada's report urged governments to redouble their efforts on tobacco control policies such as tax increases and smoking bans.
Emirates 24/7
01-06-2025
- General
- Emirates 24/7
WHO calls for urgent action to ban flavoured tobacco, nicotine products
On World No Tobacco Day, the World Health Organisation (WHO) today launched a new publication and calls on governments to urgently ban all flavours in tobacco and nicotine products, including cigarettes, pouches, hookahs and e-cigarettes, to protect youth from addiction and disease. Flavours like menthol, bubble gum and cotton candy are masking the harshness of tobacco and nicotine products turning toxic products into youth-friendly bait. Flavours not only make it harder to quit but have also been linked to serious lung diseases. Cigarettes, which still kill up to half of their users, also come in flavours or can have flavours added to them. 'Flavours are fuelling a new wave of addiction, and should be banned,' said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO. 'They undermine decades of progress in tobacco control. Without bold action, the global tobacco epidemic, already killing around 8 million people each year, will continue to be driven by addiction dressed up with appealing flavours.' The publication, Flavour accessories in tobacco products enhance attractiveness and appeal, reveals how flavours and accessories like capsule filters and click-on drops are marketed to bypass regulations and hook new users. Currently, over 50 countries ban flavoured tobacco; more than 40 countries ban e-cigarette sales; 5 specifically ban disposables and 7 ban e-cigarette flavours; and flavour accessories remain largely unregulated. Flavours are a leading reason why young people try tobacco and nicotine products. Paired with flashy packaging and social media-driven marketing, they've increased the appeal of nicotine pouches, heated tobacco, and disposable vapes into addictive and harmful products, which aggressively target young people. WHO reiterates that tobacco products, including heated tobacco products, expose users to cancer-causing chemicals and should be strictly regulated. Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.
Free Malaysia Today
31-05-2025
- Health
- Free Malaysia Today
Anti-smoking veteran Subbarow honoured as tobacco control icon
Anti-smoking advocate NV Subbarow being congratulated by health minister Dzulkefly Ahmad at the national tobacco control conference in Cyberjaya today. (Facebook pic) GEORGE TOWN : Veteran anti-smoking advocate NV Subbarow has been honoured as a tobacco control icon for his efforts over three decades to educate the public on the dangers of smoking and substance abuse. The award was presented today by health minister Dzulkefly Ahmad at the World No Tobacco Day celebration in Cyberjaya. Subbarow, who is the education officer of the Consumers' Association of Penang, said the award provided him with renewed motivation to raise awareness, especially among young people, about the dangers of tobacco, vaping, and the use of shisha and drugs such as cannabis. He said his efforts had reached more than 25,000 schoolchildren at primary and secondary levels across the country. 'Some students have come back to tell me they stopped smoking after attending my sessions and that, to me, is a proud achievement,' he said. CAP president Mohideen Abdul Kader urged the government to impose a full ban on smoking and vaping products, citing serious public health risks and the potential for increased drug dependence. 'These products pose a serious threat and are far too accessible, especially online. With just one click, users can falsely declare they are over 18,' he said.
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
WORLD NO TOBACCO DAY: Some twenty Quebec groups call for major investment in prevention drawn from provincial tobacco-settlement windfall
MONTREAL, May 31, 2025 /CNW/ - On this World No Tobacco Day, close to twenty Quebec health groups are calling on the Quebec government to take a small proportion of the financial benefits it will draw from the settlement ending all litigation faced by the three largest cigarette manufacturers (including Quebec's claim), and to invest that amount in the tobacco control budget. More specifically, the groups are asking that 2.7% of the $6.6 billion that the province will collect – the equivalent of $30 million – be invested in government initiatives aimed at accelerating the fight against smoking, improving support for smokers who want to quit, reverse the youth vaping crisis, and better combat the illegal sale of vaping products, as specified in this recent letter to the Quebec government, signed by five provincial anti-smoking groups. According to Flory Doucas, co-director and spokesperson for the Quebec Coalition for Tobacco Control, "the fight against smoking is far from over, and unless this battle is accelerated, smoking will continue to monopolize a huge proportion of Quebec healthcare resources. Tobacco kills over 36 Quebec smokers every day, as smoking remains the leading cause of preventable illness and death in the province. Meanwhile, public health workers, schools officials and government inspectors are overwhelmed by the vaping phenomenon, with new cohorts of young people continuously falling into the nicotine addiction trap. "Despite the financial compensation for victims and the injection of substantial funds into provincial coffers, the settlement negotiated and approved by Quebec and the other creditors has significant shortcomings, as it fails to include a single measure to force the industry to change its ways." In fact, the settlement endorsed by Quebec and the other provinces grants Big Tobacco total and complete immunity for their decades of dishonest and irresponsible marketing of tobacco products – in exchange for payments spread out over the next two or three decades. It even prevents the new 'Cy-près' foundation (with assets of one billion dollars) from funding smoking prevention or cessation interventions, stating that these "fall within the purview of the Provinces and Territories" [9.31]. "Given that payments to provinces, including Quebec, will come from current and future smokers, the agreement raises a potential conflict between the government's desire for revenue and its primary responsibility to protect the public. By investing part of the funds to fight the use of these harmful products, the government would counter the appearance or existence of such a conflict," explains David Raynaud, Senior Manager, Quebec - Public Interest Advocacy at the Canadian Cancer Society. "The agreement doesn't include any measures to prevent or minimise further harm. It even stipulates that the industry must maintain its usual commercial operations, which includes recruiting new consumers of tobacco and vaping products, resulting in new victims and new healthcare costs. It would be immoral for the government to collect these billions without dedicating a substantial amount to prevent additional harm and costs," he adds. The settlement protects the vaping market The settlement exempts revenues from the sale of vaping and heated tobacco products from all financial obligations. "This extraordinary exemption allows for the continued aggressive expansion of the recreational nicotine market, inevitably leading to new consumers becoming addicted to nicotine and exposing them to new health risks," adds Marc-André Parenteau, Senior Advisor, Government Affairs and Advocacy at Heart & Stroke. "In our view, the government's primary responsibility is to do everything in its power to stop the suffering and loss of life caused by harmful and unnecessary products from a profit-driven industry. Without new investments to better protect the public from the nicotine industry, the popularity of its traditional and novel products will continue to harm the health and well-being of Quebecers while generating additional healthcare costs," concludes Ms. Doucas. See appendix : Financial needs and factual highlights ____________________________________ 1 « What Will Be Eligible for Consideration for Support by the Cy-près Foundation: Proposals regarding research, programs and initiatives falling within the scope of the Cy-près will be received by the board of directors of the Cy-près Foundation ("Foundation Board") for consideration for financial or other support from the Cy-près Foundation. Programs and initiatives aimed at reducing or preventing tobacco use in Canada are outside of the scope of the Cy-près because they fall within the purview of the Provinces and Territories, involving policy issues and advocacy. Accordingly, such programs and initiatives will not be considered for funding or other support from the Cy-près Foundation. » SOURCE Quebec Coalition for Tobacco Control View original content: Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
