Smoking Related Illnesses in the UK - Essay Example

? Smoking related illnesses have claimed a lot of lives in UK Overview…………….…………………………………………………………………………3 Public Health Impacts of Smoking Related Diseases…………………………………………..4-7 Management of the Impact of Smoking Related Illness in United Kingdom…………………7-13 Policy Changes in United Kingdom to Avoid Deaths due to Smoking Ailments……………13-16 Overview The rise in the activity of consumption of cigarettes in United Kingdom has led to the growth of various illnesses related to the cardiac and breathing systems. Smoking of cigars has also led to the growth of other diseases like vision problems, stomach and orthopedic diseases. The cardiac and breathing diseases caused due to the blockage of respiratory glands and arteries turn fatal in many cases. Further the incidence of heavy smoking also leads to the emergence of diseases like oral, stomach and lung cancer. For women the activity of smoking renders severe implications to the process of pregnancy impairing the reproductive process (Smoking and Health, n.d.). The growth of smoking activity in United Kingdom alone claims around 106,000 lives on an annual basis. Large numbers of people get affected by fatal ailments like cancer, cardiac and pulmonary problems which contribute to the growing deaths in the region. The growth in deaths owing to smoking problems has scaled such heights in United Kingdom that it has become a serious public health concern in the region. Again the frequency and growth of smoking ailments happens to become an economic and social burden for the country (Peate, 2007, p.218). In United Kingdom the treatment and care rendered to smoking diseases demand around 5 billion pounds of annual expenditure during 2005. This expenditure incurred during 2005 accounted for around 5.5 percent of the total health budget prepared by National Health Service in United Kingdom for the period 2005 to 2006. (Smoking disease costs NHS 5 billion Pounds, 2009). Public Health Impacts of Smoking Related Diseases The policies and practice of Public Health Systems in the context of United Kingdom gained importance with the works of the Labour Party during 1997. In fact, the labour government of Britain made the public health practices as one of the key health and social needs of the region. Enhancement of the scope of the National Health Service in the region was done to reduce the impact of economic and social inequalities in getting access to better health services. (Lloyd, Jones & Douglas, 2009, p.10). Growth in the consumption habits of tobacco and nicotine products in different countries has been observed to occur because of difference in the social settings of the large communities. The main social inequality factors like deprivation from better living and economic standards, spread of unemployment in the regions and increase in solitude are observed to be the major reasons which accounts for the growth of smoking habits. People take to these habits of consuming nicotine through smoking to get rid of feelings of depression and loneliness. However on the contrary increased incidence to such objects renders economic impact on the poor people by causing a rise in the emergence of fatal diseases pertaining to heart and lungs. It also happens to cause cancer in many patients, which thereby claim many lives. Poor people suffering from such smoking ailments fail to gain access to better treatments owing to which the number of deaths in the region starts rising. A study made on the smoking characteristics of the people in United Kingdom during 1993 shows that the number of smokers in the deprived community were greater than the people belonging to affluent types. The above observation made during 1993 in United Kingdom can also be graphically represented as follows. It is found that the habit of taking drugs and products like nicotine were much prevalent in deprived communities of Britain during the 1993 period (Wilkinson & Marmot, 2003, pp.24-25). (Wilkinson & Marmot, 2003, pp.24-25) A comparative study made along different periods ranging from 1995 to 2005 in United Kingdom shows that the number of fatal incidents owing to tobacco related ailments reflecting a significant drop. The estimates made for the region of England in United Kingdom show that where annual death rates owing to smoking diseases amounted to 120,000 people during 1995, the number of such casualties dropped to 106,000 on an annual basis during the period ranging from 1998 to 2000. Further during the 2005 period the number of smoking casualties in England came down to around 81,900. More specifically the diseases occurring for smoking activities in England during 2005 is found to render greater impacts in claiming more lives of men than women. Estimates made show that during 2005 consumption of nicotine resulted in male casualties of around 23 percent while for women it was around 13 percent. This rise in the ailments owing to smoking activities in England further rendered huge impacts on the health care services of the region. Estimates made during the period ranging 2005 to 2006 shows that around 6 percent of the personal health care rendered to people of age group 35 years in England belonged to smoking diseases. The total amount of such cases amounted to around 571,400 during the stated period. The female population addicted to such smoking habits tends to have developed serious ailments like breast cancer and other lung diseases than male smoking population in the region. Further the growth of smoking activities in United Kingdom also amount to affecting the non-smoking communities. These innocent people owing to the rise in smoking activities suffer from both pulmonary cancer and heart ailments. The rise in health impairments in the United Kingdom due to smoking activities tends to render economic impacts over the region. The cost of health service rendered by the government of United Kingdom amounted to 1.4 to around 1.5 billion pounds on an annual basis. Furthermore teenagers aged between 11 to 15 years in United Kingdom are also found to be avid smokers. The number of smokers in the region rose from 47 percent during 1982 to around 61 percent during 2006. Again the habit of smoking in United Kingdom is also increasingly related to psychiatric ailments in the region. In England, 74 percent of depressive and anxiety driven patients and around 60 percent of traumatic disorder patients are found to become addicted to smoking. This also leads to the rise in death rates among smokers in United Kingdom. (Ghodse, 2010, pp. 125-126). (Ghodse, 2010, pp. 125-126). (Ghodse, 2010, pp. 125-126). Management of the Impact of Smoking Related Illness in United Kingdom The smoking related ailments render a huge impact upon the lives of the people in United Kingdom by claiming large amount of lives. Growth in smoking habits in the region has led to the emergence of large number of chronic ailments like lung and heart diseases and also in the spread of fatal ailments like cancer in a rapid manner. Estimates show that around 100,000 young lives are being claimed on an annual basis in United Kingdom owing to the growth of smoking habits in the region. More specifically in England the number of people died out of respiratory problems and cancer ailments amount to around 23,200 and 37,700 respectively. Further the growth of smoking habits has also caused the rise in serious ailments like lung and breast cancer in United Kingdom. Estimates made show that during 2007 the number of people diagnosed with lung cancer amounted to around 39,473 while another estimate made during 2008 shows that around 35,261 people met death owing to lung cancer. Observation tells that around 90 percent of the lung cancer diseases in United Kingdom owes to the growth of smoking habits in the region. Around 20 percent of the people suffering from lung cancer in United Kingdom due to the lack of proper diagnosis are found to meet death on an annual basis. The growth of smoking by the people of United Kingdom has also contributed to the growth of complex lung ailments like Chronic Obstructive Lung Diseases. Smoking activities in United Kingdom contribute in about 80 percent to the growth of this complex lung disease in the region. The complex lung ailment turns chronic because of the growth of breathing disturbances due to muscular spasm in the lungs and rise in blockages. Recent findings show that around 900,000 people in United Kingdom are suffering from the complex lung disease. The Health Department in United Kingdom however opines that owing to fact of under diagnosis the number of such patients suffering from the complex lung ailment can raise to around 3 million. Furthermore the emergence of the complex lung disease in United Kingdom turns out to be a chronic ailment in claiming around 30,000 lives in the region on an annual basis. Around 85 percent of such deaths are studied to be the impact of increased smoking habits in the region (Smoking and Respiratory Disease, 2011). The above discussion shows that growth in smoking habits in United Kingdom accounts for the growth of chronic and fatal diseases. Growth in the occurrences of such ailments in United Kingdom tends to have a much greater impact on increasing the cost of health services in United Kingdom, which ranges from 1.4 billion pounds to around 1.7 billion pounds on an annual basis. The government of United Kingdom is expected to raise the tax and duties on tobacco products to curb the demand for such in the market. Estimates show that around 12 million people residing in United Kingdom are addicted to smoking habits, which accounts for 28 percent of men and around 26 percent of females. Further the smoking habits also differ across working groups and categories in the region. In skilled and professional people the rate of smoking habits amount to 16 percent and 12 percent in men and women compared to 40 percent and 34 percent in manual labor groups. Further facts show that around 450 small children in United Kingdom take to smoking on an average basis. Growth in the smoking habits in the region also accounted for around 90 percent of lung cancer cases in the region (The real cost of smoking, 1998). Among the nations belonging to the body of European Union, United Kingdom in the light of increased incidence of smoking related ailments has taken some strong steps to curb the consumption of tobacco. Survey conducted among the different nations of the European Union along with United Kingdom show that the latter scored around 93 points out of 100 in regards to the measures taken to curb the use of tobacco. United Kingdom obtained such high scores for conducting activities like charging extra tax revenue on tobacco products, which thereby raises its price. The government of United Kingdom also barred the smoking of cigarettes in proper public areas and also catered for making the general population get aware of the harmful impacts of such tobacco consumption. Further the advertising of the tobacco companies are totally banned from being displayed or broadcasted through the public mediums. Health warnings are placed on the cigarette packs in a prominent manner to help the people get rid of such habits. Government of United Kingdom is also working to develop and render improved access of health care systems to help the general population gain improvements on a large scale. However despite such strong steps taken by the government of United Kingdom to curb the consumption of tobacco it is found that decline in such happened by around 0.4 percent only. Thus recommendations are placed by several bodies that the government of United Kingdom should promote in an extensive manner the growth of educational tools to help the poorer population of the country get largely aware of the health impacts rendered by the habit. (UK tops the latest EU tobacco control league table, 2007). United Kingdom also hosts the major tobacco growing and production companies of the world, which helps the country to gain around 3 billion pounds of profit estimated before the deduction of tax on an annual basis. However unfortunately the larger part of such income around 2 billion pounds are required to be expended by the government in promoting health care services to the population affected by the incidence of tobacco related diseases. Further research made shows that people in United Kingdom who have abstained from the smoking of cigarettes for a long time have been freed from the threat of contaminating diseases like lung cancer. Moreover restricted use and consumption of cigarettes in United Kingdom are also helping a large number of people falling in the age group of 30 to 45 years to get an increased span of life with a decline in the death rate. Smoking activities in United Kingdom apart from causing lung cancer also render serious implications in the stages of pregnancy in the mothers causing congenital diseases in the child. Further researches are being promoted in the region to uncover the relation between rise in smoking activities and diseases like rheumatoid arthritis in United Kingdom. The government of United Kingdom is also endeavoring to expand its activities to conduct specialized and enhanced diagnosis in the realm of lung cancer, which claims many lives and is increasingly related to smoking. (Tobias & Hochhauser, 2010, pp. 199-200). The pattern of smoking in United Kingdom has high amount of linkages to the country’s social environment. In a matter of twenty years from 1973 to 1996 the smoking habits in the region countered sea changes due to a rapid decline from 53 percent to only 29 percent for the male population and from 42 percent to around 28 percent for the female population. However a more specific outlook shows that where for affluent families the rates of smoking have fallen down by around 50 percent the same was not applicable in the case of poor families. This reflects the large amount of social differences in regards to smoking habits in United Kingdom. Around 80 percent of the adult population belonging to the socially poor, deprived and depressed classes generally possesses the habit of increased smoking (Jones, 2004, p.390). With respect to the management of the chronic lung disease obstructing the pulmonary tracts the medical professionals of United Kingdom have taken increased steps to reduce the practice of smoking cigarettes. The doctor advice the patients to reduce the intake of cigarettes as it would help in enhancing the longevity with also reducing further complexity in the growth of such disease. It also helps in reducing the mortality rates in the region amounting from such diseases. Improved service stations are installed in local regions to help the community people get rid of their smoking habits. The doctors to help the patients get free from resorting to nicotine administer further medication and use of drugs at regular levels. The doctors, to help them get aware of the impacts of such diseases on their lives also render the patients suffering from such complex ailments special education and awareness camps (Jones, 2010, p.8). A recent study shows that in United Kingdom on an annual basis around 38,000 lung cancer cases crop up which remains vastly undiagnosed and failed to be properly administered causing large number of mortalities. Estimates show that around 35,000 people die of the epidemic on an annual basis owing to faulty diagnosis. The risk factor of the lung cancer ailment is further enhanced owing to the prolonged habit of smoking, which is estimated to have accounted for around 90 percent of the lung cancer cases in the country. Furthermore the propensity of lung cancer cases is found mostly to occur in women than men owing to the increase in cigarette consumption. The number of lung cancer cases attains growth in the region of Scotland, which holds the maximum of such patients. Remedial rate for the lung cancer disease counts to be only 8 percent owing to the lack of proper diagnosis and availability of treatment. The faltering of proper diagnosis in case of lung cancer ailment happens because of the delay caused in properly identifying its occurrence as distinguishable from other such ailments having more or less the common symptoms (The British Thoracic Society, n.d.). Women are increasingly becoming the victims of lung cancer owing to the growing consumption of cigarettes. In England like Scotland the rate of women suffering from the disease has been increased by around 10 percent during the period ranging from 1987 to 2006. The main reason attributed to this happening is the lack of focus on targeting women smokers to get rid of the habit. Much work is conducted by focusing on men smokers for which the lung cancer rate among men dropped from 70.4 to 59.4 from 2000 to 2007 respectively in every 100,000 people. (Lung cancer rate for women soars as quit smoking campaign falters, 2010). The habit of continuous smoking in women at times of pregnancy contributes to the increasing of another fatal ailment of breast cancer apart from the epidemic of lung cancer. Studies made show that women who fell in the group of active smokers fell in the risk group of having breast cancer than women who abstained from smoking or were passive smokers. However, further research is continuously conducted to understand the enhanced relationship between the variables of smoking habits and the increase in breast cancer disease. (Smoking may increase breast cancer risk, 2011). Research conducted along this field strongly suggest that rise in smoking habits in women has been one of the most significant factors behind the growth of breast cancer. Studies and observation made shows that for women who involved in active smoking the rate of susceptibility to breast cancer were more than 30 percent to those who never smoked. Women belonging to the teenage and pregnant class who consumed cigarettes fell in the risk class in comparison to others. (Smoking linked to breast cancer, 2004). The event of smoking has turned out to be a larger threat in United Kingdom for large number of people mainly children who did not take up smoking were observed to have fallen in the risk area of bearing chronic heart and lung diseases. These people got widely affected owing to the reason of passive smoking while roaming about in the society with active smokers. Around 11,000 people in United Kingdom are reported to meet death on an average annual basis owing to the growth of passive smokers in the community. The passive smokers consisting of both domestic and professional people contribute to around 25 percent of the diseased population in the country. Children of British households are observed to contribute to around 72 percent of the population suffering from pulmonary problems. (Tobacco, smoking and cancer: the evidence, 2009). Policy Changes in United Kingdom to Avoid Deaths due to Smoking Ailments One of the major policy changes taken by the United Kingdom government to tackle the increasing menace of deaths and diseases due to heavy smoking in the region is to disturb the customers’ perception. The United Kingdom government is planning to cover the cigarettes in packs, which would be totally devoid of all colors and attractive wrappers. Rather the cigars would be put in ordinary packs where logos of companies would be absent. This would help in deterring the young population from purchasing such that they would lose attraction to such objects. Cigarette packs designed in this fashion would however bear the statutory warnings printed exclusively to deter the youth population from taking to such habits. The government of United Kingdom is also making a plan to put restriction on retailers to showcase the tobacco products in their retail counters. This policy of the government is found to gain results for around 25 percent of the smokers in United Kingdom have pledged to completely quit smoke while around 57 percent of smokers have indeed reduced their cigarette consumption (Russell, 2011). The government policies in United Kingdom need to be further stringent like that of Netherlands where the advertisement of tobacco products is totally banned in cases of public transport vehicles and also in public areas. In United Kingdom however the advertisement of tobacco products is still found in vehicles of public transport. However in United Kingdom the advertisement of high tar cigarette products is totally banned which is not so in countries like Canada. Thus in United Kingdom the advertisement of cigars having tar more than 20 mg is totally banned. Further the government of United Kingdom is also encouraging the growth of non-voluntary organizations like ‘Action on Smoking and Health’ to curb the habit of cigarette smoking through the conduct of programs like campaigning for increased awareness in the general population. The medical bodies and councils present in the country further support the work of the non-voluntary organizations in United Kingdom. Further the government, in order to help in the propagation of the awareness campaigns in the country to get rid of smoking habits increasingly targets the media sector. However contrary to the above moves some big tobacco companies in United Kingdom are still increasingly promoting large sporting events in television media. This move taken to abolish the restrictions imposed on advertisement tends to have a negative impact on the society (Marks, 1982, pp.391-394). In the countries of United Kingdom, England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland proper policy measures are being taken by the governments to reduce the consumption of tobacco. In England the policy of the government for controlling tobacco consumption had been in stay from 1998 to 2009. Health Departments in countries like England and Scotland in regards to the policy measures taken targeted the reduction of tobacco consumption by around 21 and 22 percent respectively by 2010. The current policies taken by the government of United Kingdom totally restrict the advertisement of tobacco products through systems of public media or through the participation of tobacco companies in sponsorship events. Sale of cigarettes was however not stopped from retail outlets yet restrictions were imposed upon retailers to not sell them to population under the age group of eighteen. Further, the cigarettes sold in packs were mandated to consist a maximum of ten cigars. Tobacco companies in United Kingdom are bound by the government of the country to reflect the actual composition of amount of nicotine and tar substances on the packs. This practice would further help the purchasing population to get aware of the harmful ingredients and deter themselves from smoking. Government of United Kingdom also set policies to help in the increasing of tax schemes set on tobacco items by around 5 percent and the government also plans to set further policies to stop the illicit trade on such items. To tackle smuggling activities in the tobacco market the government of United Kingdom had launched a 200 million pound campaign during 2000 which helped in reducing the market share of such from 21 percent during 2000 to 2001 to around 15 percent during 2003 to 2004. Government of United Kingdom also abstains from encouraging the expansion programs of the tobacco companies to set other plants in the foreign markets and also curbs the consumption of the same in the work sector. In countries such as Scotland, Ireland and England the smoking of cigarettes in public and work areas is totally banned to help in promoting a safer environment. The government of United Kingdom is also taking initiatives to heighten up the expenditure for the cause of mass campaigning to cause increased awareness in order to reduce the consumption of tobacco. (ASH Briefing: UK Tobacco Control Policy and Expenditure, 2011). The following chart shows the rise in government expenditure to help in the promotion of the awareness campaigns. Period United Kingdom Government Expenditure for Promotion of Awareness Campaign (Million Pounds) Year 1999-2000 6.18 Year 2000-2001 8.97 Year 2001-2002 7.79 Year 2002-2003 7.87 Year 2003-2004 17.76 Year 2004-2005 25 Year 2005-2006 23 Year 2006-2007 13.5 Year 2007-2008 11.39 Year 2008-2009 23.38 Year 2009-2010 14.79 (ASH Briefing: UK Tobacco Control Policy and Expenditure, 2011) Special recommendations are placed by the different organizations like enhancement and growth of creation of zones where smoking would be totally banned. This enhancement would help in the reduction of growth of passive smokers in United Kingdom both in the domestic and occupational areas. The growth of awareness campaigns is also to be strengthened through public relation schemes, which directly involve the mass consumers. Further incidence of tax and other duties is also recommended in tobacco products to reduce the sales of such through retail counters and other cross selling mediums. Reduction in the smuggling campaigns of tobacco products can be further enhanced through the curb on incentives related to such and disruption of distribution channels. This policy measures would thus help in completely disturbing the sales network for tobacco products in United Kingdom (ASH Policy Recommendations, 2003). References 1. “Smoking and Health” (n.d.), champixinfo.co.uk, available at < http://www.champixinfo.co.uk/smoking-and-health.shtml> (accessed on March 8, 2011). 2. Peate, I. (2007), Men's health: the practice nurse's handbook, Wiley-Interscience. 3. “Smoking disease costs NHS 5 billion Pounds” (2009), BBC News, available at < http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8086142.stm> (accessed on March 8, 2011). 4. Lloyd, C., Jones, L. & J. 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(2011), Cigarettes ‘to be sold in plain packs’, available at < http://www.webmd.boots.com/smoking-cessation/news/20110307/cigarettes-to-be-sold-in-plain-packs> (accessed on March 9, 2011). 19. Marks, L. (1982), Policies and postures in smoking control, British Medical Journal, Volume 284, pp.391-395, available at (accessed on March 9, 2011). 20. “ASH Briefing: UK Tobacco Control Policy and Expenditure” (2011), ash.org.uk, available at (accessed on March 9, 2011). 21. “ASH Policy Recommendations” (2003), ash.org.uk, available at (accessed on March 9, 2011). Read More