Every year, on the occasion of World No Tobacco Day, numerous institutions carry out awareness campaigns. One of them, for example, emphasized the generic packaging of cigarettes and tried to make the boxes less attractive by displaying photographs that showed the impact of tobacco on health. But do these types of campaigns really work? And most importantly, is there any use to quit smoking ?
Do anti-tobacco campaigns work?
According to the National Committee for the Prevention of Smoking of Spain, between 2012 and 2013 a campaign like the one we mentioned was carried out in Australia and the number of smokers was reduced by 2.8% . The World Health Organization (WHO), for its part, found that in Spain this type of campaign worked especially in adolescents who had the intention of starting to smoke and gave up . Meanwhile, in other countries such as Brazil, Canada, Singapore and Thailand , thanks to the photographs and messages that the population has seen on a daily basis , a greater awareness of the harmful effects of tobacco was generated .
Despite the positive results of a campaign of these characteristics, only 42 countries implement this type of graphic warnings , so it has not been possible to reduce the number of smokers as much as expected. To this is added that the media, which are the ones that would have the greatest impact on the population, do not carry out anti-tobacco campaigns.
Has there been progress?
Many countries, in order to reduce the number of smokers and eradicate this vice, have launched very powerful campaigns. In America, for example, many states have ratified their commitment to smoking. But, in addition, more and more countries are becoming smoke-free spaces in terms of public places, closed workplaces and any public transport.
There are countries that require the use of graphic health warnings in at least 50% of main surfaces , others have increased tobacco taxes , some have totally banned all forms of advertising, promotion or sponsorship and there are also that offer help to quit smoking through toll-free hotlines or full-cost nicotinic replacement therapy.
Quitting tobacco has benefits
Making the decision to quit smoking and getting it is not easy, but it can be very gratifying to notice that physical conditions improve, concentration increases, kidney and liver processes are optimized, cavities are reduced and teeth whiten, breath improves and it becomes an important economic saving .
After three days without smoking, the person can experience greater physical performance . If the third week is already exceeded, according to experts and according to several studies, smells and flavors will begin to be perceived better . And these benefits are just the beginning, because it has been proven that nicotine acts in the body as a stimulant drug that makes sleep difficult. This creates a feeling of greater concentration in the person, but in reality with each puff that is given to the cigarette, in addition to nicotine, carbon monoxide is absorbed, which decreases the supply of oxygen to the brain and can cause that in medium or long term has difficulty remembering certain things. Quitting smoking then
improves memory, concentration and rest .
Another contribution that is added to the body when you stop smoking is the improvement of sexual performance and reproductive capacity . In the case of the kidneys and the liver , which are the organs in charge of eliminating toxic or harmful substances from the blood, they work less when smoking is stopped, so they do not deteriorate so much and their lives are lengthened .
Psychological benefits have also been detected. Although withdrawal symptoms may cause a person to feel more nervous, anxious, and irritable at first, mood improves over time .
Keep smoking has consequences
The WHO has stated that up to 50% of smokers die from a health problem caused by tobacco. In other words, more than 5 million smokers die each year and more than 600,000 non-smokers die because they have been exposed to tobacco smoke continuously , for a total of almost 6 million people. This number could reach 8 million in 2030 if the necessary measures are not taken immediately.
Tobacco smoke has more than 4,000 chemicals and it is known with complete certainty that at least 250 are harmful and more than 50 cause cancer. And this smoke is absorbed by both smokers and non-smokers. But what is more alarming is that more than 40% of the world’s children are continuously exposed to this smoke because at least one of their parents smokes. A very worrying but also fixable situation. You just have to quit smoking!
