Preventing millions of premature deaths through ‘simple tobacco control policies’

Tobacco control measures enacted in 41 countries between 2007 and 2010 will prevent about 7.4 million premature deaths by 2050, according to a HealthDay story quoting the results of a study published on June 30 in the Bulletin of the World Health Organization.

A team of researchers led by David Levy, a professor of oncology at Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, District of Columbia, USA, was said to have used a modeling exercise to predict the number of lives that would be saved.

“It’s a spectacular finding that by implementing these simple tobacco control policies, governments can save so many lives,” said Levy.

The measures the countries implemented included protecting people from tobacco smoke; offering smokers help to quit; warning people about the dangers of tobacco; banning tobacco ads, promotion and sponsorship; and raising taxes on tobacco.

“In addition to some 7.4 million lives saved, the tobacco control policies we examined can lead to other health benefits, such as fewer adverse birth outcomes related to maternal smoking, including low birth weight, and reduced health-care costs and less loss of productivity due to less smoking-related disease,” Levy added.