Smoking in Developing Countries - Essay Example

Smoking in Developing Countries Smoking in Developing Countries I. The essay will describe the smoking trends in developing countries like Indonesia and Mexico compared to the trends in developed countries like Australia. II. A. Smoking was only introduced to the Australian continent and only emerged popularity on the event of the First World War. 1. Male and female smokers 2. Emergence of young adult smokers B. Though faced with financial crisis and unemployment, smokers from the developing countries are still increasing. 1. Age bracket 2. Income bracket 3. Effects of health campaigns against smoking and the impact of the increasing prices of commodities and cigarettes 4. Ages and reasons why one quits smoking III. Smokers in developing countries are increasing despite cigarette prices being more expensive compared to other commodities. A. How is the household budget affected by the smoking habit of one? B. Are the smokers well-aware of the danger that second-hand smoke will bring to their families? C. Is peer pressure affecting the smoking habits within a family? IV. A conclusion that can be made with regards to the essay would be that smoking besides being an addicting habit has also a negative impact towards the non-smokers. This realization have been the tool as to why government and private organizations have started their campaigns to educate the smoking public with regards to the more harmful effect of smoking to non-smokers due to second-hand smoke. Smoking particularly tobacco smoking was only introduced to the Australian continent during the 18th century. Besides the group of Indonesian fishermen, the British also brought tobacco cigarettes together with the new settlers of the country during the latter part of the century. Tobacco smoking became ubiquitous country-wide only after a century that it was introduced. Drastic increase in male Australian smokers was noted during the World War I. Australian women will not be left behind. They were targeted by cigarette companies through their advertisements after the Second War. This coincided with the emergence of the female sexual characteristic seeking to be treated equally as their male counterparts.1 2 It is a given fact that the lifestyles in the developed countries are way better compared those in the developing countries. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) as quoted in ACT Fact Sheets, 82% of the smoking population is found in developing countries. The tobacco consuming public in developed countries like the United States, Britain, Canada and Australia are dropping, the smokers in developing countries like Mexico and Indonesia is increasing and it is increasing in a vast manner. The increasing number of smokers in developing countries is attributed to cultural traditions. Just like how the Australian women were encouraged to smoke, the female markets in developing countries have been targeted by tobacco companies through their advertisements.3 Comparing the smoking habits of Australians and those of those from the developing countries, it can be noted that smokers from these developing countries are increasing while smokers in Australia are decreasing regardless of age and gender. Despite of the taxes being tapped on the retail prices of cigarettes, smokers are found to be willing to sacrifice some of their needs just to finance their unhealthy habit. 4 Taking Mexico as an example, though the price of a pack of cigarette is almost US$2, the number of smokers is increasing. This is inversely proportional to the number of smokers in Australia though most Australians can afford to buy a packet of cigarette. Since the 1980s, tobacco companies have been targeting the market in developing countries, particular the Asian foreign market. American tobacco companies were able to penetrate the markets in Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan. China has the largest population in the world therefore foreign tobacco companies have been targeting the Chinese population. The US market was successful in penetrating this market and the smokers in China were able to consume 1,646 billion cigarettes in 1994 alone.5 Jiménez-Ruiz et al. concluded that “Cigarette taxation is an effective tool for generating government revenue, and can also be a useful measure to improve population health.” 6 However, there are still a number of countries who does not put much tax in cigarettes. The authors further laid down reasons as to why cigarette cessation has been slow in some countries. One of the factors that were given was the economic factors. In a way, one would disagree about this matter since it has been shown in studies that though one is not financially able to buy any luxuries life, that person will stretch its budget to avail of their packet/s of cigarettes. What was perceived effective in Mexico and other countries was not the same factor that was considered effective in Indonesia. According to Sri Moertiningsih Adioetomo et al., though increasing the taxes for cigarettes will not just decrease the number of consumers but also increases the income of the government, education is still perceived to be the key for smokers to quit smoking. Quoting the authors, “In Indonesia, many parents ask their children to buy cigarettes for them. Regulations to forbid selling cigarettes at stalls or kiosks near schools would also help. Effective channels should be used to provide smokers and their families with information and education about the health hazards of smoking.”7 In the study conducted towards smokers in Mexico, educating the public about the effects of smoking to the body of the smoker itself but also of those people who inhales second-hand smoke just places second compared to the study conducted in Indonesia. One of the reasons as to why Australian smokers quit smoking is that the government educated the public about the negative effects of smoking, smoker or non-smoker. The more the public knows what smoking can do to a person’s health and to the health of non-smokers, the more one would want to quit smoking. Evans and Kelley stated that: …anti-smoking campaigns may be more effective than they appear. One tends to judge them by whether smoking is less common today than yesterday. But that is only the right standard if the push and pull factors have not changed. In fact, holding steady and even making a little headway against strong social currents driving people towards smoking should count as considerable success. But complacency is not in order: the substantial increases in taking up smoking among the more recent cohorts of early school leavers highlight the need for new approaches.8 Smoking is one habit that knows no boundaries. Regardless of wealth, race, even gender, one can start smoking even during adolescence. Often, it is the economic factor being targeted by most government to decrease the smoking population. Yet this should not be the only factor that is given importance. Education is still a very important factor. However, due to financial constraints more and more of the youth population is failing to attend schools. Media should work hand-in-hand with the government towards educating the public as to the effects of smoking. The more people getting aware of its negative effects in health, the more people will discourage others to smoke and encourage quitting smoking. In developing countries, instead of the money being put up for food and other necessities, it is being spent in purchasing cigarettes. It is not just the nutrition sector that is being affected by cigarette smoking; the environment is also being threatened by tobacco production. Smoking does not destroy the physical health of smokers and non-smokers alike; it also destroys the environment that mankind and nature consider as their home. The environments in developing countries often are still preserved and well intact. However, as tobacco production emerges, it is slowly being destroyed by the same plant that slowly kills the people sowing the land where it is planted. It has been proven that quitting smoking is a very hard task since smoking is a form of addiction. There is nothing difficult when there are people who are supporting a smoker to quit smoking. Families and friends are often the most influential support group that a smoker needs to be able to stop the addiction that the tobacco has brought into his system. Quitting starts with the self, the success of it depends on how much encouragement and will one can get from those people who care for him. Instead of alienating a person because he is a smoker, why not encourage him to quit. If one truly cares for a smoker, help them to quit. Bibliography Abdullah, A. S. M. and Husten, C. G. “Promotion of Smoking Cessation in Developing Countries: A Framework for Urgent Public Health Interventions,” Thorax, 59 (2004): 623-630, doi: 10.1136/thx.2003.018820. Action on Smoking and Health. “Tobacco and the Developing World.” ASH Fact Sheets. Last modified August 2009. http://ash.org.uk/files/documents/ASH_126.pdf. Evans, M. D. R. and Kelly, J. Australian Economy and Society, 2001: Education, Work, and Welfare. Leichhardt, NSW: The Federation Press. 2001. Jiménez-Ruiz, J. A., Sáenz de Miera, B., Reynales-Shigematsu, L. M., Waters, H. R. and M. Hernández-Ávila, “The impact of taxation on tobacco consumption in Mexico,” Tobacco Control, 17 (2008):105–110, doi:10.1136/tc.2007.021030. Moertiningsih Adioetomo, Sri, Djutaharta, Triasih and Hendratno, “Cigarette Consumption, Taxation, and Household Income: Indonesia Case Study,” HNP Discussion Paper No. 26. Washington D.C.: The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, 2005. pp. 40-60. Scollo, M.M. and Winstanley, M.H. (eds.). Tobacco in Australia: Facts and Issues. 3rd ed. Melbourne: Cancer Council Victoria. 2008. Available from: http://www.tobaccoinaustralia.org.au. Read More