Expert Tobacco-free world until 2040

International experts hold one „tobacco-free“ World for realistic

03/13/2015

In the apron of the 16. „World Conference on Tobacco or Health“ In Abu Dhabi, scientists around the world are calling for more action to be taken to stop smoking by 2040 „tobacco-free“ World - without smoking bans - to reach. In particular, researchers cite the increase in tobacco tax as an effective means of reducing the number of smokers. Not even one in ten in a region lives with a tobacco tax that complies with World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations. In the developing and emerging countries in particular, more efforts against smoking are necessary, they write in the British journal „The Lancet“, In the occasion of the forthcoming conference from 17 to 21 March a series of articles on the subject of tobacco consumption appeared. Eighty-five percent of the world's population does not have access to programs that help stop smoking.

Governments need more action for one „tobacco-free“ Seize the world by 2040
„A goal of a tobacco-free world by 2040 - in which less than five percent of adults consume tobacco - is socially desirable, technically feasible, and could become politically viable, "quotes the news agency „dpa“ a research group around Robert Beaglehole of the New Zealand University Auckland. However, governments and organizations such as the United Nations and WHO should become more active, especially in South and Southeast Asia, parts of Africa and the Middle East. But they do not want to enforce tobacco prohibitions, the researchers said. The „tobacco-free“ World can be reached by other means, they write further in the trade magazine.

Another research team led by Kenji Shibuya, a health policy expert at Tokyo University in Tokyo, points out that the increase in the world's population could lead to more than one billion people still consuming tobacco regularly in 2015, even though the proportion of smokers overall is higher is declining. According to experts, an increase in the number of smokers is to be expected above all among African men and men and women in the eastern Mediterranean.

Tobacco companies are now focusing on low- and middle-income countries as demand for cigarettes and tobacco in industrialized countries continues to decline, writes Anna Gilmore of the British University of Bath in the journal. „Contrary to what the industry claims, tobacco advertising targets women and young people, "she quotes the news agency, adding that corporations have too much influence on politics.

Standard packaging is supposed to make cigarettes less attractive
In many industrialized countries, warnings and shocks can be seen on the cigarette packs. In addition, certain additives are prohibited and pack sizes specified. With it one hopes for a further decrease of the smoker numbers. Australia has gone one step further. There, in 2012, uniform packages of cigarettes were introduced that show no brand logo or the like. Ireland also became the second country in the world to introduce unitary packaging last week. The British parliament passed a similar resolution on Wednesday, but the House of Lords still has to agree.

„Standardized packaging avoids the illusions that create shiny, colorful packets of cigarettes and replaces it with shocking images that show the real consequences of smoking, "commented Dr. James Reilly, Irish Minister for Children and Adolescence planned. (ag)