Possible Solutions for Tobacco Usage in the UK - Essay Example

Possible Solutions for Tobacco Usage in the UK Tobacco usage is one of the biggest health issues in the United Kingdom today and this is mainly because of the fact that the number of people who use it is ever increasing. The increasing number of tobacco users is despite the efforts of the government as well as health organizations to promote its dangers to the health of the individuals who use it. This has resulted in the adoption of policies, such as the ban on smoking in public places to ensure that there is a decrease in tobacco consumption within the country. A large number of those people who use tobacco tend to start at a very young age, mostly in their teenage, and these normally begin mainly because of the influence of their friends as well as peer pressure, especially in the school environment. Moreover, it has become the norm for these individuals to continue smoking for the rest of their lives since once they pick up the habit from such a young age; it is often very hard for them to stop. The result is that a large chunk of the population of the UK are tobacco users and this has created a situation where despite the best efforts that the government has taken, it has become difficult to control the use of this substance. Some of the largest tobacco companies are based in the UK and because it is a lucrative market for their products, these companies have worked hard to ensure that those laws that are not in favour of the reduction and at times abolishment of tobacco usage are not passed. These companies have powerful lobbies, which work hard to ensure that only laws which are in their favor are passed as a means of retaining their dominance over the UK market (Neuman, Bitton & Glantz, 2002). Therefore, it has become imperative for the government of the UK to take direct and effective measures which are meant to promote a reduction of tobacco usage within the country so that the population can stay free of the medical complications that are related to tobacco usage (Jha & Peto, 2014). Among the biggest steps that the UK government can take to curb the power of tobacco companies is to ensure that legislation that reduces the consumption of tobacco products is introduced and strictly implemented because to do otherwise would mean that the health of the public would be at risk. In addition, the government should require that it make requirements where tobacco companies in the UK have to label their products as being dangerous to the health of those who use them ("Adding harm reduction to tobacco control", 2007). Moreover, the government should take an active part in supporting those individuals whose health has been affected through tobacco usage in their court cases against tobacco companies. This will ensure that these companies will work towards the development of products that are less harmful to the health of their users. The development of safer tobacco products should be the immediate aim of tobacco companies and in order to make this initiative successful, there will be the need for strong government policies in its support. The other solution for tobacco usage in the UK can be achieved is through the development of counselling initiatives to encourage those individuals who are addicted to the substance to quit. For those individuals who are regular users of tobacco, it is often very difficult to stop using it and it is for this reason that they should be given as much psychological and social support to encourage them to stop using the substance (Aldridge, 2008). The ability of individuals to stop using tobacco is based in the need to convince them to do so in a meaningful manner and this included ensuring that after they stop, they are provided with continued psychological support. This can be done through the development of support groups that involve individuals who have stopped using tobacco so that they can be able to share their experiences as well as the hardships, which they have been facing since they stopped smoking. The provision of group support for those individuals who have quit smoking is essential in ensuring that more tobacco users are encouraged to stop using and instead get psychological assistance needed to kick the habit. In the provision of psychological assistance, the government should take an active part through making these services available free of charge for all of those who need it because to do otherwise would mean that the tobacco problem within the UK would not be able to be dealt with effectively. Because of the active participation of the government, more individuals would be encouraged to take part in government-sponsored programs to reduce tobacco use in the UK. One implication of the reduction of tobacco use in UK is that there would also be a reduction in the medical issues related to tobacco use. Such health issues include lung cancer as well as the respiratory infections, which come about due to the smoke from the tobacco going through the air passages to the lungs. The need to ensure that the UK public is safe from the effects of tobacco has to be done in a manner, which is swift and effective so that individual users can be encouraged to stop using the substance (Britton & McNeill, 2013). While for many users, it is difficult to stop the habit, more effort needs to be taken to encourage them to do so and this not only includes government initiatives, but the involvement of their parents and friends. The latter are often extremely useful in the encouragement of individuals to stop using tobacco because they provide the much-needed support to ensure that these individuals keep away from tobacco use (Lancet, 2012). The ability of individuals to stop using tobacco is based mainly on their environment, so that if the environment is filled with smokers, it is more likely than not that they will not feel comfortable stopping. However, in an environment where people are willing to stop smoking, it is possible that individuals will be able to not only stop using but also seek guidance concerning how they can keep away from tobacco use permanently. The current UK government policies on tobacco usage, while they have been implemented with the best of intentions, do not effectively deal with the problem (Britton & Bogdanovica, 2013). As has been briefly discussed above, this is mainly because of the massive influence that some tobacco companies have in the development of these policies. Since these companies have to protect their interests and markets, it has become the norm for them to ensure that despite laws restricting tobacco use are passed; they are not efficient enough to hurt their markets in any manner. In addition, the lack of support for those individuals who have stopped or have stopped using tobacco tends to be very discouraging for them and it is for this reason that some of them end up using this substance despite having stopped for a long while. Smoking has become a part of the urban culture of the UK and this need to be seriously addressed by all the stakeholders in the society so that a comprehensive plan can be developed which will provide the needed incentives to those people who use tobacco to quit. The ability of the UK government to take the initiative when dealing with the tobacco issue within the country has come to be questioned and to counter this perception, it is necessary for the government to take the initiative that will result in the development of policies that lead to the regulation of tobacco use (Lancet, 2013). Thus, while there are many solutions to tobacco usage in the UK, it is important to realize that they cannot be implemented without the support of either the government or the society. In conclusion, tobacco usage is one of the biggest health issues in the United Kingdom today and this is mainly because of the fact that the number of people who use it is ever increasing. In addition, some of the largest tobacco companies are based in the UK and because it is a lucrative market for their products, these companies have worked hard to ensure that those laws that are not in favour of the reduction and at times abolishment of tobacco usage are not passed. One of the means through which a solution for tobacco usage in the UK can be achieved is through the development of counselling initiatives to encourage those individuals who are addicted to the substance to quit. Among the implications of the reduction of tobacco use in the UK through the means that have been discussed would be that there would also be a reduction in the medical issues related to tobacco use. Finally, it can be said that the current policies of the UK government on tobacco usage, while they have been implemented with the best of intentions, do not effectively deal with the problem. References "Adding harm reduction to tobacco control", 2007, The Lancet, vol. 370, no. 9594, pp. 1189. Aldridge, J. 2008, "A hard habit to break? A role for substance use education in the new millennium", Health Education, vol. 108, no. 3, pp. 185-188. Britton, J. & Bogdanovica, I. 2013, "Tobacco control efforts in Europe", The Lancet, vol. 381, no. 9877, pp. 1588-95. Britton, J. & McNeill, A. 2013, "Nicotine regulation and tobacco harm reduction in the UK", The Lancet, vol. 381, no. 9881, pp. 1879-80. Jha, P. & Peto, R. 2014, "Global Health: Global Effects of Smoking, of Quitting, and of Taxing Tobacco", The New England journal of medicine, vol. 370, no. 1, pp. 60-8. Lancet, T. 2013, "Tobacco control--political will needed", The Lancet, vol. 381, no. 9877, pp. 1511. Lancet, T. 2012, "Fire without smoke: targeting smokeless tobacco use", The Lancet, vol. 380, no. 9849, pp. 1204. Neuman, M., Bitton, A. & Glantz, S. 2002, "Tobbacco industry strategies for influencing European community tobacco advertising legislation", The Lancet, vol. 359, no. 9314, pp. 1323-30. Read More