IT WAS World No Tobacco Day recently (May 31) – an annual reminder that smoking is hazardous to health. In the Philippines, however, it seems smokers are having a hard time kicking this vice. Haven’t we increased cigarette prices by imposing higher taxes on them do discouraging smoking?
On top of the ongoing coronavirus disease pandemic, we dread to see two more health challenges — smoking and tuberculosis.
Yes, smoking has long been associated with TB. In fact, there’s a clear and distinct link between active and passive smoking and a range of TB outcomes, recent studies have shown.
Smoking greatly increases the risk of death. Nearly 61 percent of TB deaths can be attributed to smoking. In fact, one in five deaths could be avoided if patients were not smokers.
The member states of the World Health Organization created World No Tobacco Day in 1987 to draw global attention to the tobacco epidemic and the preventable death and disease it causes. In 1987, the WHO Assembly passed Resolution WHA40.38, calling for April 7, 1988 to be a “world no-smoking day.” In 1988, Resolution WHA42.19 was passed, calling for the celebration of World No Tobacco Day, every year on May 31.
Our country has one of the highest number of TB cases in the world, according to the World Health Organization. Compared to non-smokers, current and former smokers are at a greater risk of TB infection. The odds are even greater if you consider the duration of smoking or the amount of cigarette consumption.
Exposure to secondhand smoke also increases the risk of infection, particularly among the young. If infected, active smoking heightens the risk of disease and may even worsen its severity. The risk is much higher the longer you smoke or the younger you are when you pick up the habit.
Commitment to reduce the smoking burden is essential – not just for tobacco users, but also for tuberculosis victims and their families. We cannot let smoking and TB continue to ravage our country.
