Smoking the first cause of preventable death

• April 18, 2024

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the world , causes 5 million deaths annually and this figure continues to rise so much that it could double, assured the Secretary of Health, José Ángel Córdova Villalobos during the presentation of the book "Tobacco in Mexico. How to avoid 60,000 premature deaths each year? "

In this regard, he said that the Ministry of Health works in different areas to combat the problem of smoking; for example, with the momentum and promotion of 100% smoke-free spaces , the total prohibition of all forms of advertising, sponsorship and promotion of the products, the incorporation of health warnings and pictograms in cigarette packs.

In an interview for GetQoralHealth , the doctor, Lilia Isabel Ramírez, denies the existing myths about smoking:

Price increase in cigars

The Finance Committee of the Chamber of Deputies, decided to increase the value of the pack of cigarettes by five pesos, and at this price two additional pesos were added, which Congress approved last year for the 2010 economic package, starting in the year that enter the pack of cigarettes will have an increase of seven pesos, which tries reduce demand and smoking especially among young people and thus avoid the premature death of a significant number of Mexicans of productive age.

The Secretary of Health commented that the control and prevention of addiction to smoking is a priority, therefore progress has been made in the national implementation of the General Law for Tobacco Control published in 2008, in which the regulatory framework for the sale, import, manufacture, distribution and propaganda of tobacco was established.

It was built from Service Services Network with the New Life Centers with almost 330 units to give attention to addictions in general, together with the 110 Youth Integration Centers.

The head of health stressed that the actions should be aimed at eradicating all types of advertising, promotion and sponsorship of tobacco products, prohibit the provision of services in areas exclusively for smoking provided by the general law and ensure compliance with regulations and regulations. current legislation on the subject promoting a culture of citizen respect. Strengthen the institutional mechanisms for the promotion of these spaces 100% free of tobacco smoke.

On the other hand, María Elena Medina Mora, director of the National Institute of Psychiatry and coordinator of the book, said that Tobacco use is cause of illness and death However, there are mechanisms to prevent deaths.

He noted that this work seeks to avoid exposure and the initiation of tobacco consumption to eliminate habit and dependence, in addition to disseminate information on treatment to stop this addiction.

About the book "Tobacco addiction in Mexico"

The work addresses situations such as daily and annual deaths caused by tobacco consumption, history of smoking and its relationship with cancer, influence of the tobacco industry in Mexico, epidemiology of use and exposure to smoke, early initiation of daily tobacco consumption, environment and economics, psychosocial aspects and the association of tobacco with the onset of psychoactive drugs, prevention, economic impact on health care costs, among others.

Finally, he added that to combat this problem there are many institutions that work together such as the Ministry of Health, the National Council against Addictions (CONADIC), National Institutes of Health, UNAM and civil society organizations.

Video Medicine: Stop Smoking : Stop Smoking Cigarettes (April 2024).