Thursday, November 25, 2010
Blog 13 World Health Organization calls for graphic pictorial warnings on tobacco packaging
"The World Health Organization (WHO) recently called for countries to provide (graphic) pictorial health warnings about the dangers of tobacco use." In May of 2009, WHO called for countries to require pictorial warnings on all tobacco product packaging to increase public awareness of the consequences of tobacco use. "Tobacco is the only legal consumer product that kills when used exactly as intended by the manufacturer(WHO)." In the United States, the FDA regulates and controls thousands of products that have been shown to be harmful to people who use or misuse them. However, despite incontrovertable evidence that tobacco use kills, it is still available for purchase, with only minimal verbal package warnings - "smoking may be hazardous to your health". Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the US, causing 5 millions deaths per year, and yet availability of tobacco products is minimally regulated. Brazil, Canada, Singapore and Thailand all require graphic pictorial package warnings that studies have proven to have a positive effect on smoking rates in those countries. The tobacco industry lobby in the USA is very powerful and well funded, and because of it's political clout, efforts aimed at preventing new users and helping addicted smokers to quit are rendered much less effective. The new healthcare legislation should have included some very concerted efforts to control and reduce tobacco use. Instead of addressing the cause of so much sickness and death, the focus remains on treating the lung cancer, cardiovascular disease, stroke and many other chronic, debilitating and death-dealing illnesses suffered by smokers and those exposed to their second hand smoke. REFERENCE: World Health Organization (2009). Call for pictorial warnings on tobacco packs. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2009/no_tobacco_day_20090529/en/index.html.
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Jeri,
ReplyDeleteThe tobacco industry has so much money, I wonder if they have enough pull politically to prevent such legislation in the health care reform. I think the education needs to come to Americans at a young age. Maybe these graphic ads would reduce children's desire to smoke. But, if we wait until the children are old enough to pay attention to ads are we catching it early enough. There has begun to be a stigma against smoking with laws preventing where someone can smoke. I think it should be against the law to smoke in cars with children present. As a child from a family of smokers, I became a smoke myself for a while. If my parents did not smoke in front of me, I wonder if I would have ever begun smoking. At least once I quit, I know my body is beginning to heal itself.
Kerri
Jeri,
ReplyDeleteDespite the many efforts made by activist against tobacco companies; millions of people worldwide still smoke. I realize that smoking is a very addictive social behavior, but with all the knowledge surrounding the consequences of smoking, people still do it. I know you stated that pictorial campaigns in other countries have been effective, so I believe it is definitely worth a try to have those campiagns in the U.S. Some people just require a direct picture of the affects of tobacco versus just a warning statement. I'm anxious to see where society will draw the line. Great post.
Martinetta
Hi Jeri,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your response to my post. I agree with you mandatory the first offence, and maybe, maybe the second, everyone deserves a second chance, but once they have broken the law more than two times, a jail sentences needs to be rendered.
Now, I am a totally against smoking I abhor it, for two reasons... one, the majority of my nuclear family smokes, and it has always had a negative effect on me; whenever there is smoke around I cannot be in the room, I literally cannot breath, I get instant headaches and nausea. Secondly, because that is the only time when my mother is standing still, for about 10-15 minutes I can sit, stand whatever, and have a conversation with my mom, but because the smoke affects me so bad I opt out of talking and wait for another chance.
I am absolutely excited about smoking being banned in public places, because smokers are infringing upon the rights of non-smokers to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" I say this because having to walk down a sidewalk and have smoke blown in your face or to inhale it while sitting at a restaurant is taking years off our life, how can we be happy when we are wondering about how much time that took off our life; it is simply unfair, if an individual chooses to take up the horrid habit than they should do it on their time and in the privacy of their own homes. ETS is much more dangerous for non-smokers because we are getting pure, unfiltered smoke.
Thanks,
Kitara Wright