Public HealthWorld Heart Federation Warns That Burden Of Tobacco Epidemic Continues To Worsen Societies And Economies
G-20 leaders pledged to provide the International Monetary Fund with $500
billion to help struggling economies, sparking global controversy. Yet
startling research shows that the combined costs of tobacco-related death and
related productivity losses, healthcare expenditures, employee absenteeism,
and widespread environmental harm are responsible for draining the same
amount - $500 billion - from the global economy each year and it receives
much less attention than it deserves.
In recognition of World No Tobacco Day on 31st May, the World Heart
Federation insists on bringing more attention to the impact of tobacco on
health and disease. Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death and
is closely linked to cardiovascular disease, which is the leading cause of
death worldwide. In 2010, it is estimated that six million people will die
from the effects of tobacco - more than from HIV/AIDS, malaria and
tuberculosis combined - and nearly three-quarters (72%) will be in low- and
middle-income countries. Using tobacco causes clogging of the arteries, heart
disease, stroke, sudden death and heart failure.
Dr. Pekka Puska, President of the World Heart Federation stated: "This
year we embrace the WHO theme of tobacco health warnings and demand that the
tobacco industry display pictorial warnings on all tobacco packages in order
to clearly and effectively communicate tobacco"s deadly consequences."
Studies show that pictorial warnings work: they effectively motivate
users to quit and reduce the appeal of tobacco for those who are not yet
addicted. The World Heart Federation supports its members around the world to
advocate for pictorial labeling, working with Ministries of Health, the media
and businesses. But 9 out of 10 people live in countries that do not require
warnings with pictures on tobacco packages.
One successful example is in the Caribbean. Debbie Chen, Executive
Director of the Heart Foundation of Jamaica, coordinates a coalition of
partners, which includes the Heart and Stroke Foundation of the Barbados and
the InterAmerican Heart Foundation, with a Bloomberg Award grant for Global
Tobacco Control. She said: "We were convinced that labeling could help us
when we read research from other countries. We have accelerated the process
in the region and are determining which warnings will have the strongest
impact in four Caribbean countries."
Worldwide, tobacco control is one of the simplest ways to reduce
cardiovascular disease; in low-re settings its feasibility and
cost-effectiveness only magnifies its importance.
About World No Tobacco Day and Warnings
To know more about the World No Tobacco Day, and download toolkits,
please visit: http://www.who.int/tobacco/wntd/2009. To know more about the
Framework Convention, please visit: http://www.fctc.org. To know more about
countries that are working on ensuring tobacco products have pictorial
labels, please visit: http://www.tobaccolabels.ca/labelima
World Heart Federation