Global EditionASIA 中文雙語Fran?ais
    Opinion
    Home / Opinion / From the Press

    A story of two pandemics – smoking and COVID-19

    By Stephen Ndegwa | CGTN | Updated: 2020-06-01 11:58
    Share
    Share - WeChat
    Young people participate in a rally to mark World No Tobacco Day on a street in Kathmandu, Nepal, May 31, 2019. /Xinhua

    As researchers study the cause and effect of the novel coronavirus pandemic, medical experts warn that tobacco users stand a higher risk of contracting the virus, as compared to non-smokers.

    Recent studies by the World Health Organization (WHO) show increased vulnerability of smokers to infection by COVID-19. According to a review of tobacco use convened by the global health body on April 20 this year, smokers are more likely to develop severe disease with COVID-19 in comparison to non-smokers.

    The study warns that smokers are likely to be more vulnerable to COVID-19 through contact of fingers and lips with contaminated cigarettes. Further, communal smoking involving sharing of cigarettes and mouth pieces can facilitate the transmission of the virus.

    Also, just like "big tobacco" seeks to manipulate young minds into adopting smoking through misinformation, the WHO has warned against amplifying unproven claims that tobacco or nicotine could reduce the risk of COVID-19.

    In a statement released on May 29, the WHO laments that the tobacco and nicotine industry has continued to promote products that limit people's ability to fight the new coronavirus, and recover from the disease.

    This is one of the areas in focus as May 31 marks the 2020 World No Tobacco Day, of which the theme is "Protecting youth from industry manipulation and preventing them from tobacco and nicotine use."

    The theme raises the red flag against the recruitment of a new generation of tobacco and nicotine users, through what the WHO terms as "deliberately employed strategic, aggressive and well-resourced tactics...aimed at replacing the millions of people who die each year from tobacco-attributable diseases with new consumers – youth."

    Nine in 10 smokers of the world's 1 billion smokers pick up the habit before they are 18 years old, hooked by an annual 9-billion-U.S.-dollar global marketing campaign by big tobacco. Currently, there are over 40 million smokers aged between 13 and 15 years. And, in a growing global trend, 200 million smokers are now women, enticed by targeted marketing strategies.

    More than 8 million people die from smoking every year, including over 1 million deaths from non-smokers exposed to second-hand smoke. These deaths occur mainly from smoking-related cancers, cardiac diseases, and, pulmonary and respiratory diseases. Moreover, a third of youth who are addicted to smoking will die prematurely from its adverse effects.

    Smoking has always raised a lot of concern to health authorities worldwide. Indeed, the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) was the first treaty the UN body negotiated under its leadership. The FCTC seeks to curb the "globalization of the tobacco epidemic" by addressing demand and supply factors that promote smoking.

    The social and economic impact of smoking cannot be overemphasized. Smoking causes more than 500 billion U.S. dollars in economic damages every year, most of which emanates from the cost of healthcare expenses for treating tobacco related ailments, and the subsequent weakening of human productivity.

    Both smoking and COVID-19 will have a great impact on the future of the youth. As the world co-opts young people in curbing further spread of the smoking epidemic, the same sensitization should place them in combating COVID-19. Sensitization must keep pace with the results of ongoing research on the link between tobacco use and COVID-19, both in the short and long terms.

    One of the tobacco industry's major lines of defense is the argument that smoking is not the only cause of lifestyle diseases. They cite the case of serious illnesses like diabetes, high blood pressure and certain cancers that are caused by excessive sugar and fat intake. They say they are unfairly targeted, saying governments should also rein in consumer products which have been fingered as culprits that cause, for instance, obesity.

    Ultimately, the point is that smoking kills. It is an addictive habit that needs equally aggressive and deliberate strategies to fight off. Maybe in the near future, we will have data that shows the percentage of deaths from COVID-19 that could have been exacerbated by tobacco use, compared to non-smokers.

    In order to reduce, and ultimately eradicate the prevalence of smoking, health authorities should target the youth at the most appropriate channels. This includes reaching the youth by promoting alternative, ego-boosting healthy lifestyles, and giving them constant and sufficient information on the dangers of smoking through social media.

    Anti-smoking lobbyists say authorities should work toward gradually criminalizing tobacco use. They also ask governments to enact and enforce legal measures toward a total cessation of advertising of cigarette and tobacco products in all media, including instituting punitive measures to those who sell cigarettes to minors.

    Most Viewed in 24 Hours
    Top
    BACK TO THE TOP
    English
    Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.
    License for publishing multimedia online 0108263

    Registration Number: 130349
    FOLLOW US
    亚洲国产无套无码av电影| 最近免费中文字幕大全高清大全1| 亚洲一区无码中文字幕| 亚洲精品无码成人AAA片| 欧美中文在线视频| 亚欧无码精品无码有性视频| 无码国内精品久久人妻蜜桃| 亚洲日韩VA无码中文字幕| 欧美 亚洲 有码中文字幕| 国产a级理论片无码老男人| 亚洲Av综合色区无码专区桃色| 最近2019年中文字幕6| 中文有码vs无码人妻| 国产精品一区二区久久精品无码| 无码孕妇孕交在线观看| 亚洲中文字幕无码一区二区三区| 亚洲AV无码无限在线观看不卡| 亚洲国产精品无码中文字| 亚洲av无码天堂一区二区三区| 久久AV高清无码| 人妻系列无码专区无码中出| 国产精品99久久久精品无码| 一二三四在线播放免费观看中文版视频| 亚洲中文字幕无码一区二区三区 | 日本乱中文字幕系列观看| 中文字幕理伦午夜福利片| 无码AV一区二区三区无码| 日产无码1区2区在线观看| 大学生无码视频在线观看| 国产50部艳色禁片无码| 国产在线精品无码二区| 2024你懂的网站无码内射| 国产成人无码精品久久久久免费| av无码久久久久久不卡网站| 88国产精品无码一区二区三区 | 国产产无码乱码精品久久鸭| 久久久久久久亚洲Av无码| 99久久无码一区人妻| 免费一区二区无码视频在线播放 | 亚洲精品中文字幕无码蜜桃| 亚洲中文字幕无码爆乳AV|