Category: People

  • Health under threat globally

    Health under threat globally

    The rise in noncommunicable diseases has been driven by five major risk factors: tobacco use, physical inactivity, the harmful use of alcohol, unhealthy diets and air pollution, according to the World Health Organization.

    In publishing its 13th General Programme of Work, the WHO said the world was facing multiple health challenges. ‘These range from outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases like measles and diphtheria, increasing reports of drug-resistant pathogens, growing rates of obesity and physical inactivity to the health impacts of environmental pollution and climate change and multiple humanitarian crises,’ it said in a statement.

    ‘To address these and other threats, 2019 sees the start of the World Health Organization’s new five-year strategic plan – the 13th General Programme of Work. This plan focuses on a triple billion target:  ensuring one billion more people benefit from access to universal health coverage, one billion more people are protected from health emergencies and one billion more people enjoy better health and well-being. Reaching this goal will require addressing the threats to health from a variety of angles.’

    In its announcement, the WHO listed the following 10 issues as being among those that will demand its attention and that of its partners during 2019: ‘air pollution and climate change; noncommunicable diseases; global influenza pandemic; fragile and vulnerable settings; antimicrobial resistance; Ebola and other high-threat pathogens; weak primary health care; vaccine hesitancy; dengue; and HIV’.

    In addressing the question of noncommunicable diseases, the WHO said that diseases such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease, were collectively responsible for more than 70 percent of all deaths worldwide, accounting for 41 million people. This included 15 million people ‘dying prematurely’, aged between 30 and 69.

    ‘Over 85 percent of these premature deaths are in low- and middle-income countries,’ the WHO said. ‘The rise of these diseases has been driven by five major risk factors: tobacco use, physical inactivity, the harmful use of alcohol, unhealthy diets and air pollution. These risk factors also exacerbate mental health issues, that may originate from an early age: half of all mental illness begins by the age of 14, but most cases go undetected and untreated – suicide is the second leading cause of death among 15-19-year-olds.

    ‘Among many things, this year WHO will work with governments to help them meet the global target of reducing physical inactivity by 15 percent by 2030 – through such actions as implementing the ACTIVE policy toolkit to help get more people being active every day.’

    But it would seem that air pollution is the big threat. The WHO said that nine out of ten people breathed polluted air every day. ‘In 2019, air pollution is considered by WHO as the greatest environmental risk to health,’ it said. ‘Microscopic pollutants in the air can penetrate respiratory and circulatory systems, damaging the lungs, heart and brain, killing seven million people prematurely every year from diseases such as cancer, stroke, heart and lung disease. Around 90 percent of these deaths are in low- and middle-income countries, with high volumes of emissions from industry, transport and agriculture, as well as dirty cookstoves and fuels in homes.

    ‘The primary cause of air pollution (burning fossil fuels) is also a major contributor to climate change, which impacts people’s health in different ways. Between 2030 and 2050, climate change is expected to cause 250,000 additional deaths per year, from malnutrition, malaria, diarrhoea and heat stress.

    ‘In October 2018, WHO held its first-ever Global Conference on Air Pollution and Health in Geneva. Countries and organizations made more than 70 commitments to improve air quality. This year, the United Nations Climate Summit in September will aim to strengthen climate action and ambition worldwide. Even if all the commitments made by countries for the Paris Agreement are achieved, the world is still on a course to warm by more than 3°C this century.’

  • It’s the pollution

    It’s the pollution

    The vast majority of women diagnosed with lung cancer at Taiwan’s Shin Kong Wu Ho-su Memorial Hospital between June 2007 and December 2017 were non-smokers, according to a story in The Taipei Times.

    Of the 31,838 people that had computed tomography (CT) scans over the period, 267 were diagnosed with lung cancer, 83.5 percent of whom did not smoke, said the Department of General Medicine director Hsu Pei-sung.

    Apart from smoking, genetics and chronic pulmonary diseases, other factors that might lead to lung cancer included indoor air pollutants, such as second-hand smoke, incense and cooking fumes, he said.

    In recent years, there had been incidents of people diagnosed with lung cancer after reporting coughing for a couple of weeks, even though they exercised and ate well, he said, adding that most of them were women.

    Airborne particulates – such as PM2.5, particulate matter measuring up to 2.5 micrometers in diameter – have been classified by the World Health Organization and the International Agency for Research on Cancer as a ‘Group 1’ carcinogen, and they could increase the likelihood of contracting lung cancer and respiratory diseases.

    Citing research conducted by Academia Sinica, Hsu said that PM2.5 concentrations are normally 2,000 to 13,000 micrograms per cubic meter (mg/m3) of air for second-hand smoke; 1,250 to 1,750mg/m3 for cooking without using a range hood; 75 to 700mg/m3 for burning incense; and 70 to 500mg/m3 at restaurants, suggesting that PM2.5 is not solely an outdoor risk factor.

  • Prices stall in Karnataka

    Prices stall in Karnataka

    The Tobacco Board of India has been asked to take the steps necessary to address the poor domestic and overseas demand for the flue-cured tobacco currently being auctioned in the state of Karnataka, according to a story in the latest issue of the BBM Bommidala Group newsletter.

    The call was said to have been made by Javare Gowda, president of the VFC Tobacco Growers of Karnataka, though it wasn’t spelt out what sorts of steps should be taken.

    At the time the newsletter was issued, growers in Karnataka were said to have sold 40 million kg of flue-cured tobacco for an average price of Rs145 per kg.

    The auctions so far had comprised sales of 14 million kg of low-grade leaf at an average price of Rs120 per kg; 18 million kg of medium grades for an average of Rs144 per kg; and [presumably] eight million kg of bright grades for an average of Rs161 per kg.

    The auction season started on a high note in September with 2.4 million kg being sold during the first eight days of sales and with the average price going above Rs150 per kg within the first 2-3 weeks.

    But since then, demand has fallen off and prices have declined, causing growers to become concerned.

    A Board official was quoted as saying that, more than three months after the start of auctions, as much as 50 million kg of tobacco was yet to be sold.

    And this is a relatively small crop. The Board had fixed the 2018-19-season volume at 99 million kg, but heavy rains in the region are believed to have reduced the harvest to 90 million kg.

  • Tobacco use going up

    Tobacco use going up

    Tobacco use in Iran has increased by seven times during the past decade, growing from 2,000 tons to 15,000 tons [presumably per year], according to a story in The Tehran Times quoting the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) and the vice chancellor for social affairs at Tehran University of Medical Science.

    “It is necessary to devise plans to prevent and control the widespread usage of tobacco in the country,” Abdolrahman Rostamian reportedly said on Tuesday.

    The vice chancellor said that, in many countries, high taxes were levied on cigarettes to control tobacco use, and that the same policy should be adopted in Iran.

    “Currently, tobacco tax revenue for the next Iranian calendar year [starting March 21] is estimated at 28 trillion rials (about US$666 million) but it should grow to 150 trillion rials (US$3.5 billion),” Rostamian said.

    “In most countries, tobacco duty rate is up to 75 percent, but in Iran it is only 20 percent. This is among the issues that the members of Iranian Parliament should pay special attention to.

    “Currently, there are 16 tobacco factories in the country and up to 100 trillion rials (US$2.3 billion) are annually spent for purchasing cigarettes. To make … matters worse, 35 trillion rials are annually spent for treatment of the diseases that are caused by smoking.”

    According to Rostamian, 90 percent of cancers are caused by smoking cigarettes. Smoking accounted also for 25 percent of heart failures that resulted in death and was a risk factor in osteoporosis and bone fracture, he said.

    “It is more than necessary to reduce the supply of cigarettes in the country,” he was quoted as saying. “We should come up with policies to ensure that people under 18 are banned from purchasing cigarettes. Besides, only the suppliers who have a special license must be allowed to sell cigarettes.”

  • Thailand reviewing ban

    Thailand reviewing ban

    A review of Thailand’s ban on electronic cigarettes is being launched in light of difficulties in enforcing the law, according to a by Eleven story citing The Nation.

    A working panel led by the Commerce Ministry has assigned the Tobacco Control Research and Knowledge Management Centre (TRC) to conduct the review.

    The panel was set up late last year to reconcile conflicting opinions about the ban and how to enforce it, said its chair, Keerati Rushchano, deputy director-general of the Department of Foreign Trade.

    Thailand had banned the import, sale and servicing of e-cigarettes in 2014, but since then the authorities had encountered problems with law enforcement, Keerati said.

    For instance, the tourism authority had raised concerns that foreign tourists were complaining they had not heard about the ban before arriving in the country.

    In addition, while the law banned the import and sale of the devices there was no specific prohibition against using them, a situation that had caused confusion among law enforcers.

    The TRC is expected to take about six months to complete its review.

  • E-cig regulation sought

    E-cig regulation sought

    The Philippines Department of Health yesterday reiterated its call for the regulation of electronic cigarettes, saying these devices ‘are not a healthy alternative to tobacco,’ according to a GMA News story.

    The health undersecretary Eric Domingo made the call as the government was pushing for a law imposing higher excise taxes on tobacco products.

    “Some people are trying to package it as a healthy alternative to tobacco or as lower risk product compared to tobacco,” Domingo was quoted as having said during a news conference.

    “Vape are nicotine-containing and they are addicting.

    “We do not advocate the use of vaping and we want to strictly regulate it.”

    E-cigarette and vaping regulations would need legislation, but relevant bills currently remain pending in Congress.

    Domingo proposed that vaping devices should be registered and checked for safety.

    And the World Health Organization country representative, Dr. Gundo Weiler, earlier said that WHO supported the regulation of vaping.

    Domingo said it was not known how many vape stores had opened in the country.

  • Huge fall in smoking

    Huge fall in smoking

    The proportion of tobacco smokers is dropping in Japan, with the figure for last year down by half on that of 1989, 36 percent, according to a story in The Japan Times.

    Japan Tobacco Inc. attributes the decline to increasing health awareness, an aging population, tougher smoking regulations and higher cigarette prices due chiefly to tax hikes.

    According to a JT survey, the smoking rate among people aged 20 and older fell from 36.1 percent in 1989 to 17.9 percent in 2018. The proportion of smokers among adult men fell from 61.1 percent to 27.8 percent, while the rates for both men and women have hit their lowest levels since the survey was launched in 1965.

    The Times said the smoking rate had continued falling since peaking in 1966, at 49.4 percent in total and at 83.7 percent for men.

    Fumisato Watanabe, head of a center for information on tobacco issues, was quoted as saying that almost no public facilities had smoking regulations when he started a movement for non-smokers’ rights about 40 years ago.

    But in 1987, railway stations started banning smoking in phases and later smoking became prohibited inside trains as well. In 1999, airlines banned smoking on all passenger planes.

    And under the revised health promotion law that was enacted in July 2018, smoking will be prohibited in principle from April 1, 2020, at facilities that many people use, such as offices, restaurants and hotel lobbies. But such facilities will be allowed to set up special rooms, where no food or drink will be served, that can be used exclusively by smokers.

    Starting on July 1, 2019, smoking will be prohibited inside all buildings at schools, hospitals and government establishments.

    Ordinances with tougher regulations on tobacco smoking have been established also in some municipalities, including Tokyo and the city of Chiba.

    Watanabe, 81, said the movement for non-smokers’ rights began with the wish to prevent passive smoking. “It was good that the law was revised and ordinances were established, although they are still weak,” he said.

    Meanwhile, smokers have seen tobacco prices rise. In 1989, the price of a pack of JT’s Mild Seven cigarettes, the predecessor of the Mevius brand, stood at ¥220. Now the cost is ¥480.

    And major cigarette makers are now focusing on heat-not-burn products. A JT official said such products smelt less and were considered to pose lower health risks than did combustible cigarettes, an idea that seems to have some official blessing. Restaurants will be allowed to set up special rooms for people using heat-not-burn tobacco products where food or drink will be served.

  • Licensing shisha in Egypt

    Licensing shisha in Egypt

    Amendments made to Egypt’s public-shops law will require restaurants and cafés to obtain licenses to serve shisha, according to a Daily News Egypt story.

    The amendments were passed by Parliament on Monday after two hours of discussions.

    Article 26 of the law now stipulates that premises that serve food or drinks to the public will be able to offer shisha only if they obtain an EG£10,000 license.

    And article 27 requires all such premises to install internal and external surveillance cameras.

    According to the News, a recent study found that 81 percent of shisha smokers were spending about 10 percent of their incomes on daily shisha consumption.

    Additionally, the majority of people frequenting restaurants and cafés were found to be smoking shisha.

    Reportedly, the revenues of these businesses are mostly gained from shisha, which is always in high demand from both men and women.

  • Smoking ‘amnesty’ in UK

    Smoking ‘amnesty’ in UK

    The UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) yesterday issued what it described as the 10 top motivational facts to help new vapers stick to their New Year resolution to quit smoking.

    Yesterday marked the sixth anniversary of ‘National Cigarette Amnesty Day’, which was designed to help UK smokers switch to vaping during January.

    In a press note, the UKVIA said that smoking was one of the main causes of preventable deaths in the UK, and that it was one of the most challenging addictions to beat. ‘According to Public Health England, at least half a million smokers are trying to quit this January and vaping is one of the most effective aids to help them do so,’ the Association said. ‘Evidence shows that people trying to quit cigarettes are 50 percent more successful when using vaping devices.’

    “Research has shown the first 28 days are the toughest, but if you can get past these without going back to a cigarette, then you are five times more likely to quit smoking for good,” said Doug Mutter, board member of the UKVIA.

    The top 10 motivational facts to help new vapers stick to their New Year resolution to quit smoking are:

    1. Vaping is at least 95 percent less harmful than smoking [Public Health England 2018];
    2. Second-hand vapor does not harm those around you [Cancer Research UK, 2016];
    3. Vaping doubles the chance of you successfully quitting smoking [Public Health England, 2018];
    4. More than three million smokers have already used vaping to quit or reduce their smoking [Action on Smoking and Health, 2018];
    5. Vaping helps 20,000 people quit smoking every year [Cancer Research UK, 2018];
    6. The average vaper spends £800 less a year on her habit than does a smoker [the UK Government’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, 2014];
    7. A smoker turned vaper saves the UK £74,000 [Action on Smoking and Health, 2018];
    8. Smoking costs the NHS £2.5 billion a year [Action on Smoking and Health, 2017];
    9. Vaping helps save our communities smoking costs of £760 million a year [Royal Society for Public Health, 2018];
    10. Vaping shops are saving our high streets across the UK [Action on Smoking and Health, 2017].
  • Tax hike sought in Indonesia

    Tax hike sought in Indonesia

    Policy makers in Indonesia are reluctant to address the smoking issue to the point where they are defending the cigarette business, according to a story in The Jakarta Post quoting the chairman of the Indonesian Consumers’ Foundation (YLKI), Tulus Abadi.

    Tulus said that President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo’s decision not to increase cigarette excise in 2019 betrayed his development agenda in which he and vice president Jusuf Kalla had vowed to double the tax between 2015 and 2019.

    “This decision is a terrible setback on excise policies,” Tulus told reporters at a press conference on the weekend, adding that the revenue from the excise was not comparable to the financial losses caused by smoking. “The state has failed to understand the true [point] of the excise.”

    The lack of tobacco control, Tulus said, was a major contributor to noncontagious diseases covered by the Health Care and Social Security Agency (BPJS Kesehatan), with the prevalence increasing to 1.8 percent in 2018 from 1.4 percent in 2014, according to the Basic Health Survey.

    The decision to keep the excise unchanged was ironic, he said, because the government had allocated 50 percent of the regional excise revenue to cover expenses incurred by BPJS Kesehatan, which was running at a deficit of Rp16.5 trillion (US$1.17 billion).

    That said, Jokowi has a consistent record of increasing cigarette excise, which has risen every year since he assumed office: by 8.7 percent in 2015, 11.3 percent in 2016, 10.5 percent in 2017, and 10.4 percent in 2018, according to Statistic Indonesia data compiled by the Institute for Development of Economics and Finance.

    Nevertheless, Tulus urged the government to increase the excise tax by 57 percent, because, he said, the accumulated increase since 2015 had reached only about 40 percent.

    Cigarette excise had contributed Rp153 trillion to state revenue in 2018, he said, but it could reach Rp350 trillion if the Government had a ‘firmer stance on its regulation’.