Healthy People (HP) 2020 focuses on establishing and prioritizing the health needs of the public for the United States populations using evidence-based in their 10-year agenda of objectives. Addressing tobacco use is one way to improve the health status of Americans as it is a major contributor to high mortality rates. Tobacco smoking has led to about 500,000 deaths annually, while an average population of 16 million adults has diseases originating from the habit in the United States (Zobayer, 2018).
More than 8 million people die because of tobacco use each year all around the world. Smoking harms almost all the organs in the human body and leads to a higher risk of heart disease, stroke, lung disease, and many cancers. Furthermore, tobacco is also deadly to non-smokers, with 1.2 million people dying every year from long-term exposure to second-hand smoke (Florida Department of Health in Orange County, n.d.). The primary reason HP 2020 is interested in the topic of tobacco is that it harms a large population’s health and has serious consequences on the social and health development of adolescents.
Objective: TU-2.1 Reduce use of tobacco products by adolescents
HP 2020 found that tobacco products are substances that can lead to physical addiction and psychological dependence. Once an adolescent gets used to taking them, it is very hard to quit, they may even experience withdrawal symptoms.
More Changeable More Important Less Important
Less Changeable
More Important/ More Changeable
Public knowledge on effects of smoking
Despite numerous efforts to increase public awareness of the effects of its use, many adolescents are adapting and becoming addicted to the practice. The number of adolescent smokers is higher among the low and middle-income earners (Zou et al., 2017). The public is highly ignorant of the impacts of smoking tobacco, especially second-hand smoking.
Smoking habits
The smoking habit varies in different people, as some are light- smokers while others are heavy smokers. Heavy smokers can use 1 to 2 packets a day and start smoking in less than 30 mins after they wake up. Habitual smokers make it their routine to have a cigarette in their mouth or hands as they undertake their daily duties.
Policies on Tobacco use
Tobacco smoking can be controlled effectively through the introduction of health policy. Several evidence-based interventions can help avoid and decrease the use of tobacco and second-hand smoke exposure (Zou et al., 2017). This includes smoke-free rules, rising prices, and controlling the minimum age for tobacco sales (Miranda-Filho et al., 2020). Some states and local authorities have placed more strict laws and intensive punishments on tobacco use.
More Important/ Less Changeable
Culture
The views about smoking are diverse across different cultures in the world. These views may be significant in the number of people using tobacco in society. For instance, a culture that discourages smoking, such as the American culture, would discourage many adolescents from the habit. In most cultures, the habit is perceived as inappropriate among women.
Tobacco addiction
When used regularly, tobacco can be addictive through nicotine. A tobacco addict feels the urge to use the substance every once in a while and cannot resist (Florida Department of Health in Orange County, n.d.). Once they stop smoking, addicts suffer from withdrawal symptoms that make them require help from a third party. Tobacco addiction cannot be hidden due to the smell that results from smoking. Additionally, the drug is legally accepted, easily obtained, and it is possible to smoke publicly.
Where people live
Some areas have been associated with higher popularity of smokers than others. Mostly, the low and middle-income earners smoke more than the high-income earners. Subsequently, government residential areas are largely affected by the practice (Miranda-Filho et al., 2020). It is unlikely to spend an hour in the area without identifying a smoker. This leads to more people suffering from second-hand smoking.
Less Important/ More Changeable
Brands of tobacco
Some of the distinguishing factors among various brands are the packaging design, flavors, marketing practices, and sizes (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2020). Some cigarette brands are filtered while others are not. However, tobacco smoking has similar health effects regardless of the brand.
Reduced advertising
Some laws have been enacted to minimize or ban tobacco products advertising. Well-drafted and convincing tobacco adverts influence more youths to adopt the habit. Conversely, youths are mostly influenced by their peers into smoking but not adverts.
Products labeling
The Food, Drugs and Cosmetic Act has provided a rule to label and put warning statements on tobacco products (CDC, 2020). They are also required to remove any compelling message such as mild, light, or low on the packaging unless they have mitigated the risk of using the product.
Less Important/ Less Changeable
Temperature conditions
Tobacco smokers have reported a change in their smoking habits accordingly to weather conditions. For instance, they tend to smoke more in hot temperatures and less in cold weather. Weather conditions cannot be controlled by human activities, thus, this is a less important variable.
Age
The youths make up the highest population of smokers while people above 60 years smoke less. The use of tobacco is harmful across all age groups. It is also less likely to change the habit according to the age of a smoker.
Education level
Tobacco smoking is likely to decrease in relation to advancement in academics. The youth with less education level are heavier smokers and are more prone to peer pressure and more positive Norma than their highly educated peers.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2020). Youth and tobacco use. Web.
Florida Department of Health in Orange County. Tobacco Prevention. (n.d.). Web.
Miranda-Filho, A., Piñeros, M., & Bray, F. (2020). The descriptive epidemiology of lung cancer and tobacco control: a global overview 2018. salud pública de méxico, 61, 219-229. Web.
World Health Organization (WHO). Tobacco. (n.d.). Web.
Zobayer, M. (2018). A review on health consequences of smoking and its prevention. Web.
Zou, Z., Wang, H., Uquillas, F. D. O., Wang, X., Ding, J., & Chen, H. (2017). Definition of substance and non-substance addiction. Substance and Non-substance Addiction, 21-41. Web.