Written by:
Dr.. Bassam Darwish
Consultant in health media and medical development
Smoking remains a leading cause of preventable disease and premature death in the United States, killing approximately 467,000 people annually. Nearly 1 in 5 premature deaths in the country are attributed to smoking. Despite the known health risks that smoking entails, efforts to convince smokers to quit smoking often fail, while tobacco companies succeed in marketing new electronic products and other safer alternatives, according to what is promoted by those companies that are creative in the methods they follow to Increase consumption of tobacco and its products in its many shapes, colors and flavours.
Health risks
Although smoking is popularly associated with lung cancer and respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases actually represent the leading cause of death among smokers globally. Smoking-related cardiovascular deaths (1.69 million deaths) far exceed deaths from lung cancer (0.97 million deaths) or respiratory diseases (0.85 million deaths) alone.
The effect of passive smoke
Smoking not only affects tobacco users but also exposes non-smokers to secondhand smoke. It is estimated that 58 million non-smokers in the United States were exposed to secondhand smoke, resulting in about 7,300 lung cancer deaths and 34,000 heart disease deaths among non-smokers in just four years.
Economic burden
The economic impact of smoking on the United States exceeds $301 billion annually, including $67.5 billion in workplace productivity losses, $117 billion in premature mortality costs, and $116 billion in direct medical expenses. These staggering numbers highlight the vast social costs associated with smoking.
The most important challenges
1. Strong marketing
Tobacco companies invest heavily in marketing and promoting their products, including traditional cigarettes and electronic products. These companies use clever strategies to attract young people and different age groups, making anti-smoking efforts more difficult.
2. Economic dependence on the tobacco industry
In some countries, the tobacco industry represents a large portion of the national economy, making it difficult for governments to enforce strict anti-smoking policies for fear of losing economic returns.
3. Limited education and awareness
Despite the efforts made, awareness and education programs about the dangers of smoking may not reach all segments of society effectively. Messages may be inadequate or unattractive, reducing their impact on current and potential smokers.
4. Social and cultural factors
Smoking is often associated with social and cultural factors that make it difficult to change behavior. Smoking may be seen as a symbol of masculinity or maturity, or be linked to social norms that are difficult to change.
5. Psychological and physical dependence
Quitting smoking is very challenging due to nicotine addiction, which causes physical and psychological dependence. Health institutions need to provide appropriate support to smokers through smoking cessation programs that include behavioral therapy and medications.
6. Weak cooperation between different parties
Addressing the phenomenon of smoking requires cooperation between various stakeholders, including health institutions, insurance companies, medical associations, media, educational, and social institutions, and pharmaceutical companies. Often, coordination between these parties is weak, which affects the effectiveness of the efforts undertaken.
7. Legal and regulatory challenges
Health institutions may face legal and regulatory challenges in enforcing anti-smoking laws, such as enforcing smoking bans in public places and raising the prices of tobacco products. There may be resistance from tobacco companies or lobby groups.
8. New technology and products
The emergence of new tobacco products such as e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products presents an additional challenge. These products are marketed as less harmful alternatives, which leads to consumer confusion and reduces motivation to quit smoking.
9. Financial cost
Smoking cessation programs can be expensive, both to develop and implement. Some health institutions may be reluctant to allocate the necessary resources to these programmes, especially given limited budgets.
10. The limited impact of existing legislation
Although anti-smoking laws and policies exist, their impact may be limited due to lack of strict implementation or limited awareness of these laws among the public.
Brief word
Confronting the challenges of smoking requires integrated and comprehensive efforts from health institutions and all concerned parties. By strengthening cooperation, intensifying awareness campaigns, and providing adequate support for smoking cessation, tangible progress can be achieved in combating this dangerous phenomenon that threatens public health.
Despite great efforts to combat smoking, the reluctance of insurance companies to cover the expenses of those who want to quit smoking stands out as a major challenge. It stresses the need for cooperation between health institutions, insurance companies, medical associations, and pharmaceutical companies to design specialized programs that help smokers quit smoking and reduce the burden of smoking-related diseases.
