EULALEE THOMPSON
A RECENT study of 3,170 primary school-age children in Trinidad and Tobago found that exposure to environmental tobacco smoke is closely associated with an increased prevalence of symptoms of asthma and rhinitis in the children (Pan American Journal of Public Health, September 2004, vol. 16, no. 3, pp. 193-198(6)). The children lived in households where one or both parents smoked. Here in Jamaica, the most recent study on substance use, The National Household Survey of Drug Use and Abuse in Jamaica (2001), while not addressing the issue of environmental smoke impact, indicated that users of tobacco, alcohol, illicit substances, unprescribed painkillers and sedatives were significantly more likely to report five or more symptoms of depression than those who have never used any of those substances.
In Jamaica, one in five persons reported having used tobacco (cigarettes, cigars or pipe tobacco) at some time during their lives, with men four times as likely as women to smoke tobacco. When smoking pattern is evaluated based on age, the data shows that the prevalence moves from one per cent among adolescents age 12 to 17 to eight per cent in the 18 to 24-year group with a further increase to 19 per cent in the 35 to 55 age group.
Why regurgitate these study finding and statistics, you may be asking? Well, the importance lies in the public health risk posed by tobacco smoking. In fact, the World Health Organisation cites tobacco smoking as "a public health priority". It is the second major cause of death in the world; responsible for the death of one in 10 adults worldwide (about 5 million deaths each year), according to WHO. Furthermore, it is estimated that if the current smoking pattern continues, it will cause about 10
million deaths each year by 2020.
TACKLING THE PROBLEM
To tackle the international public health risk, the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) was adopted two years ago (May 2003). The Treaty outlines measures that countries need to take to achieve its objectives. Issues as diverse as price and tax measures, cross-border smuggling, illicit trade, advertising and promotion need to be tackled by governments when designing their tobacco control programmes.
You can send your comments to eulalee.thompson@gleanerjm.com.
