World No-Tobacco Day: What Works In Controlling Tobacco

World No Tobacco Day is observed on 31^st May each year. The main objective of this day is to make people aware about the harming effects of tobacco and to encourage people to give up this bad habit. The hazardous effects associated with tobacco are well known. Still, a lot of young ones try tobacco or its by-products either out of peer pressure or just out of curiosity. Cigarette, bidi, ghutka and hookah are some of the common forms in which tobacco is consumed. Tobacco contains nicotine which gives you a high for sometime but in longer run can harm your heart, lungs, stomach as well as your nervous system. In the wake of rising tobacco use, there is a need to curb its use. Therefore, we all need to know what needs to be done when it comes to controlling tobacco use.

All across the world the quest for smoking cessation policies that work is a daily occupation for thousands of technocrats in governments. The constant need for effective interventions is partly driven by the pressure mounted by the tobacco industry itself which is constantly developing new strategies to permanently hold on to its market share. For instance, in recent years it’s been observed that bid tobacco is now exploiting the internet loophole to reach a younger audience by posting tobacco videos on social network sites. Vigorous marketing strategies have now been targeted at women and the youth.

In thinking about what works in tobacco control, experts consider both the demand interventions and supply interventions of the entire tobacco industry matrix. Therefore what works must effectively reduce demand and also effectively control supply. Demand for tobacco products lies in the hands and power of the consumer. Supply lies in the hands of the tobacco companies themselves. In the middle to regulate is government through the various policy interventions.

Typically controlling the demand side of things in tobacco control involves education. This particularly refers to education campaigns on the dangers of smoking and its general effects of the individual and society at large. Legislation is yet another method of controlling demand. In this category governments will effectively ban smoking in public places, for example. The government also has the power to regulate the way the industry advertises it products thereby curtailing its access to the market. Enforcement of regulations including implementation and sanctions such as fines and court appearances are an important aspect of tobacco control.

To reduce supply of tobacco products on to the market, the government can also over economic alternatives to key cogs that drive and sustain the entire tobacco industry. These cogs includes farmers of the tobacco leaf themselves and the vendors that sell the product. This side of things is particularly visible in developing countries were tobacco growing is a major source of income better than other cash crops. Governments can find ways and means to replace these economic benefits from tobacco growing in order to drive farmers away from tobacco growing. On the other hand generating alternative employment opportunities will also limit the number of vendors supporting the industry.

Other interventions that work in tobacco control involves interventions at the community level such as programs empowering people more so vulnerable sections with knowledge that is necessary for them to abandon the use of tobacco. What will further be needed us a creation of suitable environments to stimulate, support and sustain a healthy lifestyle which is tobacco free. At the individual level behavioural change will need to be encouraged that is aimed at smoking cessation. This is supported by counselling and de-addiction therapies as well as access to stop smoking products.