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World No Tobacco Day: A Look at Tobacco Around the Globe
Posted on May 24, 2013 by Ailee Slater (G+)
On the 31st of May, 2013, countries around the globe will celebrate World No Tobacco Day. On this day, the World Health Organization (WHO) and its partners call attention to the health risks of tobacco. This year, World No Tobacco Day will put a special focus on tobacco advertising; although WHO's Framework Convention for Tobacco Control bans the advertising and promotion of tobacco, most nations do not follow this framework - despite the nearly six million people killed every year from tobacco use, and the more than half a million annual deaths due to second hand smoke. As so eloquently stated by WHO, tobacco is a product that, when used as intended by manufacturers, causes death.
Around the world, tobacco use and regulations are not uniform, and it is intriguing to explore the role of tobacco in different nations' health care policy.
Australia
In December 2012, Australia introduced a law requiring all packs of cigarettes to be sold in plain packaging. Instead of colorful backgrounds, images and logos, all cigarette cartons are now the same dark brown color, adorned solely with a graphic health warning, and the cigarette brand printed in small letters. The purpose of this legislation was, of course, to reduce the appeal of smoking - and by many accounts, the plan has worked. According to Cancer Council Australia's Tobacco Issues Committee, since the change to plain packaging, more people are calling the council's quitline. The council has also heard reports from smokers that their favorite brands now taste different - despite the fact that it is the cigarette packaging, not the product itself, which has changed.
Before the law came into effect, tobacco companies argued in the high court that the packaging legislation was unconstitutional; however, the Australian government eventually won, and the court deemed it constitutionally appropriate to regulate the appearance of all cigarette packages. Now, other countries are considering enacting a similar law - France, the United Kingdom, India and New Zealand have all expressed interest in changing the images of cigarette packaging in order to reduce tobacco use.
The United Arab Emirates
Like many countries in the Middle East, the United Arab Emirates is home to a large number of recreational shisha smokers. In 2008, the World Health Organization found that more than one fifth of UAE residents were regular smokers of some form of tobacco; amongst men, that figure may be closer to one quarter.
In early 2012, the head of the UAE's Ministry of Health's tobacco control committee called for a national study of shisha. According to Dr. Wedad Al Maidoor, quoted in The National newspaper, the appearance and smell of shisha, along with its pleasant social connotations, may deceive smokers into believing that the activity is not harmful. International studies have shown that one hour of shisha smoking may be equal to the consumption of 100 cigarettes.
Starting in 2013, all shisha tobacco sold in the UAE must be labeled with health warnings. In August of last year, cigarette packaging began to carry graphic health advisories; similar, image-based warning labels should soon be seen on shisha packaging as well. However, shisha is often served in a hookah, at a café - a situation in which the customer will never see the pack of shisha, nor the graphic warning. Health officials are still considering how to extend health advisories to shisha café smokers.
The United States
Just this month, at least two U.S. states have seen new rules regarding tobacco use and health insurance fees. A committee at Indiana State University has recently announced that starting next year, employees who use tobacco products may be asked to pay a $50 surcharge every time they receive their salary; for most employees, this equates to an additional insurance payment of $1,200 per year. According to the committee, requiring such a payment would not only encourage employees to quit smoking and create a healthier workforce, but also offset some of the health costs faced by the university.
In Wisconsin, Governor Scott Walker has just won approval for his proposal that states workers who use tobacco ought to pay more for health insurance - an additional $50 per month. The fee was endorsed by a majority of the Wisconsin Join Finance Committee this week, based on Governor Walker's argument that health care costs for smokers are higher, sometimes by as much as 35 percent, and so tobacco users should therefore pay a higher price for insurance up front.
Across the nation, cigarette smokers may see higher insurance premiums in 2014. With implementation of the Affordable Care Act, insurance companies will be able to charge smokers higher premiums; as much as 50 percent more than the premiums charged to non-smokers. Still, some states are taking action to protect smokers from unaffordable insurance. The California American Lung Association has argued that increasing the price of insurance will dissuade smokers from seeking medical care, leading to higher costs for California and, ultimately, a less healthy state.
Ghana
In July 2012, the Ghana Parliament passed a public health bill bringing together legislation on communicable diseases, vaccinations, and tobacco control. According to a press release from the Africa Tobacco Control Resource Center, this legislation was especially necessary considering the rise in smoking among Ghana's youth. In a study of children aged 12 to 18 years old, researchers found that 14 percent had tried tobacco at one point, and 5 percent were regular smokers.
With the tobacco legislation passed last year, Ghana is taking a stronger stance on the sales and advertising of tobacco: banning the sale of tobacco-like products such as candy cigarettes; disallowing cigarettes from being sold in educational institutions, health centers or vending machines; and stopping sponsorship and advertisements of tobacco. What's more, smoking will be prohibited in public places, and health advisories will be required on tobacco packaging. The legislation also puts provisions into place which should help curb the illegal trade of tobacco products, as well as reduce the market for manufacturing and selling counterfeit cigarettes.