The Importance of Tobacco Control Policies
Over the years, tobacco smoking has become a worldwide concern for health. Thus, the US government alongside other countries has been on the move in passing policies and ordinances which control the use of tobacco. The health implications associated with tobacco smoking have been more apparent ranging from teeth discolorations, kidney failure, underweight newborns and the most fatal of them all, lung cancer. It is estimated that close five million consumers die every year, making it the most significant industry that kills its customer. For that reason, members of Congress established the need for enacting policies and laws to ensure that the levels of smoking have reduced comparatively. These laws have been established in a bid to ban tobacco advertising in the media, regulate the smoking places for tobacco and to make it less socially acceptable. The standards set have been effective since they have reduced the rates of smoking in the US by nearly sixty percent thus reducing the number of deaths from lung cancer, saving taxpayers money and creating an economic advantage from enacting high taxes on tobacco products.
The Ban on Tobacco Advertising
The tobacco industry, similar to any other company, relies on the power of advertisement to lure their customers to consume the product. Therefore, the inclusion of a ban on the tobacco products on the policy has been immensely helpful reducing smoking. Over the years, the ban on tobacco across different media has taken root, incepting from television and radio to the recent advertisement method that companies had capitalized on, the sponsorship of sports events. Federal laws restricted to other forms of advertisement such as free product samples, the point of sale advertisement and any different kind of transit advertisement. A ban has also been placed billboard advertisement alongside the utilization of misleading phrases such as "low tar" or "mint flavor" on the product packaging. The effect of the ban on smoking cigarette advertisement is that masses are becoming less persuaded about the product. While they may they be aware that the product exists, stripping tobacco companies the power of persuasion deters recruiting of new smokers, who might be lured due to convincing factor. The result of the laws on the ban is that the rate of smoking has reduced all over the country. Alongside the ban, tobacco control companies mandate that companies ensure that the dangerous health side effects are written in bold in the packaging of cigarettes. The ban as part of tobacco control policy has made a significant positive impact on reducing the number of smokers, thus, saving more lives.
Smoke-Free Laws and Changing Attitudes
The tobacco control policies encompass stipulation on the places that the places that people have played a significant role in creating overall effectiveness of laws. Smoke-free laws that have been adopted proscribe any smoking activity in restaurants, bars, institutions, workplaces and public spaces. The effectiveness of these ordinances is drawn from the fact that breaking them is a punishable felony. Additionally, it has a direct effect on changing the attitudes that people hold about smoking, as such, reducing the smoking behaviors. Studies have proven that the enactment of these laws has reduced use of tobacco by approximately four percent which translates to three fewer cigarettes in a day (Paoletti et al., 2012). Health wise, the effectiveness of the smoke-free policies have resulted to a decrease in levels of exposure to second-hand smoke, thus, making considerable improvements in the health of the public. There has been a nineteen percent reduction in the number of myocardial infections after the enactment of the smoke-free laws.
Higher Taxes on Tobacco Products
Tobacco control policies also include acts that enacted higher taxes against tobacco products. The ordinances have been valid since by ratcheting the amount of charge, the price of cigarette also increases, making it less affordable. Since the 1980’s, the rate tax on cigarettes has risen by close to two hundred percent and currently stand at $1.01 worth of tax on every pack. According to estimates, raising the price of any commodity by ten percent results in a fall in demand of close to three to five percent (Paoletti et al., 2012). Consequently, this has been the case for a cigarette. A drop in the percent of the number of users of tobacco translates to saving close to 15 million people globally who could die due to smoking-related illness. The method has been useful especially among the youths who are more money conscious while at the same time at a higher risk of becoming new-smokers. Additionally, some states have introduced individual price policies on the smoker. For example, employers place higher charges on insurance to workers who smoke. On a general note, the policies enacted to increase taxes on tobacco products are very useful in prevention intervention.
Conclusion
The standards set have been effective since they reduce the rates of smoking, assuage the number of deaths from lung cancer, and have contributed to certain economic advantages from by revenue increase. They have been able to make cigarette less affordable and less accepted by society. However, while they are immensely useful in the battle against tobacco, future directions need to be incorporated in these policies. These may include enacting product regulations against smoking and enacting more smoke-free policies.
References
Paoletti, L., Jardin, B., Carpenter, M., Cummings, K. M., " Silvestri, G. A. (2012). Current status of tobacco policy and control. Journal of thoracic imaging, 27(4), 213.
