The Woolcock Institute of Medical Research

While we’re hearing more and more about the risks associated with vaping, tobacco use continues to kill over seven million people each year and costs the world’s economies over $2 trillion annually in healthcare expenditure and lost productivity, undermines sustainable development, and exacerbates poverty, food insecurity and labour exploitation.

At this year’s World Conference on Tobacco Control, held in Dublin at the end of June, Professor Guy Marks, research leader in the Woolcock’s Respiratory and Environmental Epidemiology group and president of The International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease warned “there is no such thing as a healthy tobacco product”.

TAXING TOBACCO

The conference closed with a call for the accelerated implementation of all measures in the WHO Framework Convention for Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) to end the tobacco epidemic. The measures include an increase in excise taxes to decrease the affordability of all tobacco and non-medicinal nicotine products, establishing sustainable financing for tobacco control and other health promotion initiatives from revenue generated.

Dr Mary-Ann Etiebet, president and CEO of Vital Strategies, told reporters that health taxes remain one of the most effective, yet underutilised strategies to save lives, strengthen economies and generate new government revenue.

“For much of the last 20 years, smoking worldwide has been in decline, but we are at a turning point. The most recent trendlines point to a flattening in the decline in cigarette sales, mainly because sales among youth and especially young women are increasing in a substantial number of countries. The next generation deserves the same protections millions have been afforded due to tobacco control—smoke-free spaces; plain, standardised packs with graphic warning labels; substantial taxes on cigarettes in some countries; removal of tobacco marketing near schools; and removal of flavours,” she said.

ONGOING BATTLE

Professor Marks stated in his closing address: “When we leave this room, it’s crucial that we all take with us the knowledge, skills and connections we’ve made if we are to shift the dial on tobacco control. We must hold world leaders and ourselves to account to truly achieve a healthier world for all, by implementing the most effective evidence-based approaches to eradicate the harms of tobacco which we’ve all heard about this week. That means successfully implementing all seven WHO MPOWER measures. Anything less is unlikely to be effective and risks being branded as tokenism. There are no more excuses. There is no such thing as a healthy tobacco product. The time for action is now: Let’s join forces and with one united voice reclaim the narrative from the industry and save lives.”

The above is an extract from a story which first ran in the Indian Express.

Find out more

• Read the full Indian Express article
• Our Respiratory and Environmental Epidemiology research group