Smoking bans around the globe

World smoking bans

A new report from Canada has revealed that smoking bans seem to be boosting public health. Toronto hospital admissions for heart, respiratory problems fell by a third after laws took hold, the study found.

Since Toronto banned smoking in public places, there has been a major drop in hospital admissions for cardiovascular and respiratory conditions.

The 10-year population study found 39 percent fewer admissions for cardiovascular conditions such as heart attack, angina and stroke, and 33 percent fewer admissions for respiratory problems such as asthma, emphysema, and pneumonia or bronchitis after the ban went into effect.

Tobacco is the leading cause of preventable disease and death worldwide, and secondhand smoke is the third leading cause of preventable health problems and premature death in developed countries.

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International cancer conference

Tobacco-related cancer was one of the key topics discussed at a recent international cancer conference in Tanzania.

One of the reports presented there warns that African nations are set to undergo the highest increase in the rate of tobacco use among developing countries.

The report, released jointly by the American Cancer Society and the Global Smokefree Partnership, says that more than half of African countries will double tobacco use within 12 years if current trends continue.

Preventing

As in a lot of countries, steps are being taken to prevent a smoking epidemic.

Dr Otis W Brawley, chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society, says "Smoke-free public places are one example of a low-cost and extremely effective intervention that must be implemented now to protect health."

Mauritius also recently passed a law that the American Cancer Society says is close to meeting the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) standards, ranking the laws among the most robust anti-smoking measures in the world.

But the report says that many other countries have not taken any action.

For some countries, introducing a smoking ban would face too much popular opposition.

In Egypt, a fatwa, or Islamic ruling, gives wives the right to divorce their smoking husbands if the smoke affects their health, there are no laws about smoking in public places yet.

Since around half of the population indulge in cigarettes or water-pipes, such a measure would prove extremely unpopular.

The world

At a time when smoking is at the forefront of some people's minds, Executive Healthcare Management takes a look at smoking around the world. It looks at issues such as where in the world has laws against smoking and the numbers of deaths related to smoking.

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