Emerging nicotine and tobacco products such as e-cigarettes are among the threats to tobacco control in the Americas, and places users at increasing risk for six of the eight leading cause of death in the world.
A report on Tobacco Control for the Region of the Americas 2022 that was presented by the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) on Monday, found that although some 900 million people, or 96 per cent of the population of the 35 countries of the Americas are currently protected by at least one of the six tobacco control measures recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), up 50 per cent from 2007, progress has not been uniform.
PAHO warned that all forms of tobacco are harmful and there is no safe level of exposure. Tobacco use is the leading risk factor for the four most preventable and prevalent non-communicable diseases: cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and chronic respiratory disease.
“Tobacco causes nearly a million deaths in the region every year and it is the only legal consumer product that kills up to half of those who use it,” said Dr. Anselm Hennis, Director of PAHO’s Department of Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health. “The response to this enormous threat must be equally aggressive. Control measures work and we must move more quickly to implement all of them.”
Jamaica became a Party to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control on October 5, 2005. The law currently bans smoking in indoor public places, indoor workplaces, and public transport. The law also prohibits the sale of tobacco products within five meters of educational facilities, stadiums/arenas, healthcare facilities, and government-occupied buildings or premises.
The retail sale of e-cigarettes is allowed, but is prohibited in certain locations, including government, educational, sports, and healthcare facilities. There are no restrictions on the sale of tobacco products via vending machines or the internet.
Main findings of PAHO report are:
In 2021, of 35 countries in the Americas:
24 are implementing measures to protect against exposure to second-hand smoke
22 require large graphic warnings about the dangers of smoking on tobacco product packages
10 have surveillance systems with recent, periodic, and representative data on tobacco use by adults and young people
6 offer a comprehensive system to help people quit smoking 9 establish total bans on tobacco advertisin
