By Carissa F. Etienne
Though the devastating health effects of tobacco use are well known, tobacco’s negative repercussions extend well beyond the obvious health outcomes.
Tobacco consumption creates a significant economic burden on societies because of both the high costs of health care and the associated lost productivity. In addition, tobacco use contributes to health inequalities and exacerbates poverty within and between countries through the diversion of resources away from food and other essential needs as well as through foregone income.
These and other adverse consequences of the tobacco epidemic disproportionately affect low- and middle-income countries, where more than 80% of the world’s smokers now live, including 127 million, in the Region of the Americas. Considering its tremendous health and economic costs, the tobacco epidemic has the potential to undermine both social and economic development.
The global response to tobacco is the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), which has been ratified by 180 countries worldwide and 30 countries in the Americas. The FCTC provides a blueprint for governments to effectively curb the tobacco epidemic by implementing specific evidence-based interventions to reduce consumption. These include: adopting tax and price measures to reduce tobacco consumption; banning tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship; creating smoke-free work and public spaces; requiring prominent health warnings on tobacco packages; and combating illicit trade in tobacco products. These interventions have been identified as “best buys” in the WHO Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases, which calls for a 30% relative reduction in the prevalence of tobacco use by 2025. Of note, raising taxes has proven to be the single most potent and cost-effective strategy for reducing tobacco use.
There is now clear evidence that appropriately structured tax policies can provide the dual benefit of reducing tobacco consumption as well as generating additional tax revenues. A recent global study found that increases in tobacco taxation in low- and middle-income countries could prevent millions of deaths while also creating new fiscal space for financing development.
Despite the clear path forward set forth by the FCTC and abundant evidence on the effectiveness of increasing taxes to reduce tobacco consumption, taxation remains the least widely implemented FCTC measure. This is largely due to industry tactics to block, delay, and weaken tobacco control policies. In the specific case of fiscal policies, governments often abstain from taking action because of claims propagated by the tobacco industry that higher taxes harm economies by increasing levels of illicit trade and by decreasing tax revenues. Published data refute these claims. However, the relative paucity of country- and region-specific evidence on the economic aspects of tobacco control limits the ability of health authorities to effectively advocate for comprehensive implementation of the FCTC.
A special issue of the PAHO’s Pan American Journal of Public Health published in November 2016 addresses this gap by presenting systematic regional evidence on the effectiveness of tobacco taxes that is consistent with global findings.
The dissemination of regional evidence is a first step in challenging the tobacco industry’s unfounded claims about the detrimental economic effects of tobacco control and informing evidence-based policies to reduce national tobacco consumption and the associated burden of disease. It is our hope that health authorities will use the evidence presented in the magazine to advocate for effective implementation of the FCTC, in particular its mandates aimed at making tobacco less affordable through increased taxes.
Carissa F. Etienne is a public health expert from Dominica. She serves as the Director of the Pan American Health Organization.
334693 823576OK first take a good appear at your self. What do you like what do you not like so significantly. Function on that which you do not like. But do not listen to other folks their opinions do not matter only yours does. Work on having the attitude that this really is who you are and if they dont like it they can go to hell. 441209
864063 457193What others have stated and in some uncommon cases, suicide might occur. 103238
135576 84257There is clearly a good deal to know about this. I believe you made various great points in features also. 843569
335675 729747I like this web site very significantly, Its a rattling good spot to read and get information . 856576
875227 135134Good post. It does shed some light on the problem. By the for those interested in binary options can get an exclusive binary options bonus. 943656
988846 379598I surely didnt know that. Learnt one thing new these days! Thanks for that. 146494
952355 446193Do individuals still use these? Personally I really like gadgets but I do prefer something a bit much more up to date. Nonetheless, nicely written piece thanks. 621050
192839 669620There is noticeably a bundle comprehend this. I suppose you made specific good points in functions also. 332172
Heya i’m for the first time here. I found this board and I find It really useful & it helped me out much.
I hope to give something back and help others like you helped me.
Great site you have here.. It’s hard to find excellent writing like yours these days.
I honestly appreciate individuals like you! Take care!!
I’m not that much of a online reader to be honest but your blogs really nice, keep it up!
I’ll go ahead and bookmark your website to come back down the road.
Cheers
I used to be suggested this website by means of my cousin. I am no longer positive whether this put up
is written by means of him as no one else know such specific approximately my trouble.
You are incredible! Thanks!
Pretty component to content. I just stumbled upon your site and in accession capital
to assert that I get actually enjoyed account your weblog posts.
Any way I will be subscribing on your feeds
or even I achievement you get admission to consistently fast.
A private Instagram viewer is a tool or utility expected to
permit users to view private Instagram accounts without needing to follow the account or acquire
cheer from the account owner. Typically, these spectators allegation to bypass
privacy settings and have the funds for entrance
to posts, stories, and new content that would otherwise
be restricted to followers. while some people may use these tools out of curiosity or
for social media analysis, its important to note that
using such facilities raises supreme ethical and legitimate
concerns. Most of these listeners acquit yourself in a gray area, often violating Instagram’s terms of sustain and
potentially putting users’ privacy and data at risk. In addition,
many of these tools require users to supreme surveys or pay
for personal information, which can guide to scams, phishing attempts, or malware infections.
Instagram has strict policies against unauthorized entry to accounts and may admit real put-on adjacent to both users
and facilities dynamic in breaching privacy. then again of relying upon private Instagram viewers, it’s advisable to esteem users’ privacy settings and follow accounts in a true manner.
If someone has made their account private instagram viewer app,
its generally a sign that they wish to limit access to their content,
and these boundaries should be respected.
Excellent article! We are linking to this particularly great post on our website.
Keep up the great writing.
A private Instagram viewer is a tool or support designed to
allow users to view private Instagram accounts without needing to follow the account or get give enthusiastic
approval to from the account owner. Typically, these viewers affirmation to
bypass privacy settings and manage to pay for entrance to posts, stories, and supplementary content that would then again be restricted to followers.
while some people may use these tools out of curiosity or for social
media analysis, its important to note that using such
facilities raises all-powerful ethical and true concerns.
Most of these listeners action in a gray area, often violating Instagram’s terms of bolster and potentially putting users’ privacy and data at risk.
In addition, many of these tools require users to unlimited surveys or have enough money personal information, which can guide to scams,
phishing attempts, or malware infections. Instagram has strict policies neighboring unauthorized entry to accounts and may acknowledge real put-on next to both users and facilities full of zip in breaching privacy.
otherwise of relying on private Instagram viewers, it’s advisable to veneration users’ privacy settings and follow accounts in a real manner.
If someone has made their account private, its generally a
sign that they wish to limit permission to their content, and these boundaries should be respected.
My web blog :: Sqirk
Appreciate this post. Let me try it out.
Today, I went to the beachfront with my children. I found a sea shell and gave it to
my 4 year old daughter and said “You can hear the ocean if you put this to your ear.” She placed the shell to her ear and screamed.
There was a hermit crab inside and it pinched her
ear. She never wants to go back! LoL I know
this is entirely off topic but I had to tell someone!
Your style is very unique in comparison to other people I have read stuff from.
Thank you for posting when you’ve got the opportunity, Guess I will
just bookmark this web site.