The culture of smoking changed in Poland as a result of a severe public health concern. Smoking is a global health problem linked to different types of cancer, cardiovascular disease, respiratory conditions, high tuberculosis risk, and inflammation for both active and passive smokers, especially children. In the 1980-90s, Poland faced the challenge of being a country with the highest rates of smoking, associated lung cancer, and premature mortality in the world (Center for Global Development, n.d.). About 40% of Polish males died as a result of a smoking-related condition by 1990 (Jassem et al., 2014). The scientific community became concerned with the outbreak of cancer cases and respiratory conditions and advocated for the need for tobacco-control legislation using research evidence. In response to the public health concern, the Polish government developed a tobacco-control initiative that prohibited smoking in public places, electronic ads, and sales of tobacco products to underage youth. Moreover, the policymakers required manufacturers to print health warnings on cigarette packs and introduced health promotion campaigns to educate the public on the risks associated with smoking. The initiative demonstrated the efficiency of political commitment to health-focused policymaking in low- to middle-income nations.
Poverty and inadequate education were the leading socioeconomic factors contributing to the smoking health crisis in Poland. Jassem et al. (2014) suggest that the victims of tobacco-related mortality were primarily young and middle-aged uneducated men from poor households. The country was also a major tobacco manufacturer in Europe, and the national economy relied heavily on cigarette production, so the information on the negative consequences of smoking was controlled and restricted by the state. The government did not take any anti-smoking measures prior to the reform because the state-run tobacco industry was the main source of Poland’s revenue, and early attempts of tobacco-control in the 1980s were rejected. Political factors also played a considerable role in the smoking culture since the end of communism signified the emergence of the new market economy and the introduction of multinational tobacco corporations. Cigarettes became affordable in a variety of brands, widely available, and aggressively advertised, so the Polish increased their tobacco consumption, unaware of its dangers.
The combination of cultural awareness and knowledge helps me overcome bias. Cultural awareness examines personal biases and stereotypes and allows the nurse to be receptive to the diversity of clients’ responses to illness and death (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2020). Cultural knowledge involves education and understanding of patients’ unique beliefs and peculiarities of verbal or non-verbal communication. It influences my interactions with patients and their families as I can offer culturally appropriate treatment and prevent conflicts. I expressed bias once when I ignored a recommendation of the patient’s elderly relative, which was my mistake since the family can impact health choices and decision-making (Laureate Education, 2009). The difficulty of each case I deal with stems from the patient’s health condition, age, and personality and does not depend on his/her belonging to any specific cultural group. Cultural information is relevant when it influences patient assessment, diagnosis, and treatment. Dass (2016) states that people may ignore cultural information and evaluate others based on their skin color or ethnicity, which leads to stereotyping and misconceptions. As nurses, we need to be fair and culturally competent to provide equal quality of care and advocacy for every patient regardless of our own cultural background or worldview.
References
Center for Global Development. (n.d.). Case 14: Curbing tobacco use in Poland[PDF document].
Dass, A. (2016). The beauty of human skin in every color [Video]. TED.
Jassem, J., Przewozniak, K., & Zatonski, W. (2014). Tobacco control in Poland: Successes and challenges.Translational Lung Cancer Research, 3(5), 280–285.
Laureate Education (Producer). (2009). Family, community and population-based care: The influence of the family and culture on health [Video file]. Author.
Stanhope, M., & Lancaster, J. (2020). Public health nursing: Population-centered health care in the community (10th ed.). Elsevier.