Smokin

[Gob]

Smoking killed almost 8 million people in 2019 and the number of smokers rose as the habit was picked up by young people around the world, according to new research.




A study published in the Lancet on Thursday said efforts to curb the habit had been outstripped by population growth with 150 million more people smoking in the nine years from 1990, reaching an all-time high of 1.1 billion.

The study’s authors said governments need to focus on reducing the uptake of smoking among young people, as 89% of new smokers were addicted by the age of 25 but beyond that age were unlikely to start.

“Young people are particularly vulnerable to addiction, and with high rates of cessation remaining elusive worldwide, the tobacco epidemic will continue for years to come unless countries can dramatically reduce the number of new smokers starting each year,” said the study’s lead author Marissa Reitsma, a researcher at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.

Though the prevalence of smoking has reduced globally over the past three decades, it increased for men in 20 countries and for women in 12. Just 10 countries made up two-thirds of the world’s smoking population: China, India, Indonesia, the US, Russia, Bangladesh, Japan, Turkey, Vietnam and the Philippines. One in three tobacco smokers (341 million) live in China.

In 2019, smoking was associated with 1.7 million deaths from ischaemic heart disease, 1.6 million deaths from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, 1.3 million deaths from tracheal, bronchus and lung cancer, and nearly 1 million deaths from stroke. Previous studies have shown that at least half of long-term smokers will die from causes directly linked to smoking, and that smokers have an average life expectancy 10 years lower than those who have never smoked.

The research examined trends in 204 countries and was produced as part of the Global Burden of Disease consortium of researchers, which studies health issues that lead to death and disability.

According to the study, half of all the countries had made no progress in stopping uptake among 15- to 24-year-olds and the average age for someone to start was 19, when it is legal in most places.

Reitsma said the evidence suggested that if young people faced delays in picking up the habit they would be less likely to end up becoming smokers at all.

“Ensuring that young people remain smoke-free through their mid-20s will result in radical reductions in smoking rates for the next generation,” said Reitsma.

Despite 182 countries signing a 2005 convention on tobacco control, enforcing policies to reduce smoking had been varied. Researchers said taxation was the most effective policy but there was a significant discrepancy between the high cost of a packet of cigarettes in developed countries and a significantly lower costs in low- and middle-income countries.

The study’s co-author, Vin Gupta, said there needed to be stronger commitment to tackling smoking, as well as products such as flavoured cigarettes and e-cigarettes that could be enticing young people.

“Despite progress in some countries, tobacco industry interference and waning political commitment have resulted in a large and persistent gap between knowledge and action on global tobacco control,” said Gupta.

“Bans on advertising, promotion and sponsorship must extend to internet-based media, but only one in four countries have comprehensively banned all forms of direct and indirect advertising.”

[Crackpot]

A word of advice don’t export the “Truth” campaign. After over 10 years of being smoke free that shit still makes me light up out of spite.

[Big RR]

I understand CP. I never smoked much, and even when I did (in high school and college) I was always able to pick it up and put it down easily (and, other than the occasional cigar, have not smoked for decades). However, when we could smoke in our offices, I used to smoke a cigarette with many of my smoking colleagues every "Great American Smokeout Day" (the only day I ever did this); the bandwagon silliness and "Reefer Madness" type rhetoric associated with it just annoyed me. Not the smartest thing, but spite can do strange things (I also stopped wearing my seatbelt for a number of years when a law was passed requiring it; I even had a shirt with a diagonal stripe (called the "cheat belt") to make passing police think I was legally buckled up).

[Long Run]

One in three tobacco smokers (341 million) live in China.

Part of their strategy to not have to take care of their retired population?

[Crackpot]

The truth campaign is basically talking all the reasons liberals aren’t effective and turning it up to 10 (they don’t even deserve the ironic 11). Condescending delivery oversimplification of the issue by ignoring the human factor. Flat out derision toward the very people they are claiming to eat to convince.

[Crackpot]

One in three tobacco smokers (341 million) live in China.

Part of their strategy to not have to take care of their retired population?

Not when they supply healthcare.

[Big RR]

Ensuring that young people remain smoke-free through their mid-20s will result in radical reductions in smoking rates for the next generation

So, is the suggestion to just raise the age ot buy cigarettes? I know the drinking age (whether 18 or 21) has always kept teens from drinking. Face it, teens are even more contrary than adults and if they know you don't want them to do something, they'll make sure they do it. If there is a gao between knowledge and action, then it appears they are not doing a very good job of disseminating the knowledge, not that more draconian action is needed.

[MajGenl.Meade]

Flat out derision toward the very people they are claiming to eat to convince.

Cannibalism is worse though

[Big RR]

Maybe we could start a cannibalism credit system where refraining from smoking will permit them to eat a person (or even transfer the cannibalism credits to someone else). As Winston used to say in its ads, "What do you want, good grandma or good taste?"

[Sue U]

One in three tobacco smokers (341 million) live in China.

Part of their strategy to not have to take care of their retired population?

Not when they supply healthcare.

During the 1990s tobacco litigation here in the US, the manufacturers had developed statistics showing that despite the healthcare costs of tobacco-related disease, the shortened life expectancies of tobacco users actually saved the government money in the long run. (This was referred to as the "ghoul defense," and I don't think it was actually used in any of the cases because it was just such a bad look for the industry.)

[Crackpot]

That was Heathcare costs in the 90’s I doubt you can make that argument now. (Though I would expect China would limit benefits regardless)

Ps I hate autocorrect

[Long Run]

That was Heathcare costs in the 90’s I doubt you can make that argument now. (Though I would expect China would limit benefits regardless)

It may or may not pencil out in the U.S., but in China we can be pretty sure it does. Whereas the US per capita on healthcare is about $11,000 per year, China is about $800 per year. If it wasn't working in the Party's favor, you can be pretty sure there would be a massive anti-smoking crackdown in China.

[Crackpot]

My experience says foresight never wins out over short term profit no matter what the political ideology.

[ex-khobar Andy]

Part of their strategy to not have to take care of their retired population?

Not when they supply healthcare.

During the 1990s tobacco litigation here in the US, the manufacturers had developed statistics showing that despite the healthcare costs of tobacco-related disease, the shortened life expectancies of tobacco users actually saved the government money in the long run. (This was referred to as the "ghoul defense," and I don't think it was actually used in any of the cases because it was just such a bad look for the industry.)

That is true. The company I worked for had a minor role in making that case and, although I was not directly involved in that project, I did review a spreadsheet or two for errors.