PLACE OF A CIGARETTE

In 1977, the American Cancer Society established the Tobacco Day. It has since become international and is celebrated every third Thursday of November. Different countries, among them Azerbaijan, join it every year.

In 2012, the Tobacco Day was held on 15 November. On this day smokers are urged to quit smoking by preparing a plan on how to get rid of this dependence. If there is no such plan but there is a desire, people consuming tobacco can go without a cigarette at least for one day. This may be the start of a new life in which the risk of cancer would be much lower.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 90 per cent of lung cancer deaths, 75 per cent deaths from chronic bronchitis and 25 per cent of deaths from coronary heart disease are caused by smoking. One heavy smoker dies in the world every ten seconds. By 2020, this level may rise to one person dying every three seconds. The diseases caused or provoked by smoking kill about 5.5 million people a year. Unless urgent action is taken, by 2030 this figure will exceed 8 million.

Whole country smoking? 

Azerbaijan acceded to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in 2005. According to Article VIII of the Framework Agreement, the parties recognize - exposure to tobacco smoke causes death, disease and disability. But is the convention observed in our country in full? No. And this opinion is shared not only by the Ministry of Health whose representatives believe that there should be tougher anti-smoking measures, especially in public places. This is also the conclusion of WHO experts. During a visit to Azerbaijan, the director of non-communicable diseases and health promotion division of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe, Gauden Galea, said that none of the CIS countries, including Azerbaijan, fully execute the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. This is indicated by the absence of graphic warnings, a lack of adequate support for smoking cessation, low prices for tobacco, as well as the absence of a ban on smoking in public places.

Domestic experts also point to these problems, stressing that they will persist as long as the fight against smoking in Azerbaijan is not be based on solid legal framework. In an interview with R+, project coordinator of the National Strategy for Tobacco Control, Nurlan Aliyev, said that the country is doing everything at all levels for smoking not to be as severe a problem as it is today, but all the steps in this direction are not widespread. "It is certainly possible to prohibit smoking in public places and this requires the unity of the state and society. But then the question arises: what structures will control the rule? And won't this ban be purely prescriptive? The mechanism for enforcing the ban in Azerbaijan has yet to be developed," Aliyev said. 

N. Aliyev believes that the fight against smoking should also be based on the extensive work of professionals, scientists and sociologists. There should be effective social advertising based on actual research data on the demographic composition of the target audience, its knowledge, concerns and preferences. This means that the restrictions on the distribution of tobacco products should be promoted by all means of communication - the media, social networks on the Internet, volunteers conducting outreach and distributing pamphlets advertising aversion to smoking. Of course, all this requires substantial investment. This is why this work should be carried out with the participation of relevant government agencies.

Aliyev also said there is quite a disastrous situation with smoking among the Azerbaijani youth. In his opinion, the vast majority of young men and teenagers smoke about a pack of cigarettes a day. And this addiction is far beyond pampering. To see that this is indeed the case it would be sufficient to conduct appropriate studies in secondary schools. Collection of data on tobacco use among young people and high-risk groups will help in the fight against smoking among youths, Aliyev said. The expert is in favor of increasing the price of tobacco products in Azerbaijan. "I think that even a small rise in the price of tobacco products will reduce the number of smokers in our country." According to him, this effective method of tobacco control is practiced in Europe and the USA where a pack of cigarettes costs $5 to 7.

Smoking alone 

The basic requirements for the countries-members of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control include the publication and implementation of a law banning smoking in all public places. Today, Europe is concerned that smoking, including passive, claims the lives of 650,000 Europeans each year. The toughest anti-smoking bans are in Germany. The fight against smoking in this country was begun by Adolf Hitler, but this fact is not usually mentioned. The leadership of the German National Socialist Workers' Party condemned smoking. Then, a program to fight smoking included bans on smoking in buses, trams and trains, restrictions on smoking in cafes and restaurants. A restriction was introduced for the number of cigarettes in rations for German soldiers. A significant increase in the tobacco tax was introduced. All of these restrictions apply to this day. Germany currently has bans on smoking in airplanes, even on domestic flights, at airports, railway stations, on trains and taxis. The ban applies to smoking in public long-distance, local and regional public transport, in workplaces, schools, restaurants and pubs, except cases when a pub is rented by a group of visitors. The fine for violating the ban is quite substantial and extends to the smoker, landlord and employer.

Italy has completely banned smoking in public and other places where there is a "no smoking" sign. It is forbidden to smoke in the presence of pregnant women and children, in schools and other educational institutions. Violation of the prohibition may be punished by a fine which can reach 500 euros. When an agency or institution is subject to the smoking ban and does not have signs that point to the ban, the owner or tenant will be forced to pay a substantial penalty - up to 2,000 euros. The main controlling and punitive function is on the Italian Carabinieri. They have a certain plan on exacting fines from violators in favor of the state budget.

There is a very negative attitude to smokers in the northern countries of Europe, where 33-40 per cent of the population smoke. This is why lung cancer mortality is very high there. Adoption of relevant laws has allowed them to raise the price of a pack of cigarettes to $7-12, and you can buy them only by asking the seller because tobacco products are not displayed on the shelves. Similar laws have been adopted in Sweden, Finland, Iceland and Norway.

In Sweden and Finland, all employees of public and sometimes private organizations and businesses who have quit smoking for good are paid bonuses. Today these countries are the leaders in the fight against smoking. Governments of these countries have developed a strategic plan to combat smoking, which indicates that a full cessation of smoking can be completed by the middle of the 21st century. Also, national programs have been developed and are supported and financed by the state. As a result, less than 18 per cent of the population of Sweden and no more than 20 per cent of the people of Finland smoke. Ireland has introduced the highest fines for smokers in Europe - 3,000 euros for smoking in the wrong place. 

Raising taxes on tobacco products to make them less accessible is a very effective method to combat smoking. According to WHO, a 10-per cent increase can reduce tobacco consumption in high-income countries by 4 per cent and in low- and middle-income countries by 8 per cent. Moreover, experience shows that tax revenues, despite the reduction in consumption, increase nonetheless. In Ireland and the United Kingdom, for example, despite the toughest anti-smoking policies in Europe and the associated reduction, budget revenues are the highest.

Today, only a ban on advertising of tobacco products really operates in Azerbaijan. It is not the most effective of the measures recommended by the Convention. Therefore, it is time to start active legislative work to implement more stringent policies in this area at the same level as the prohibition of driving while intoxicated or mandatory use of seat belts by drivers. At present, our country is preparing a new anti-smoking law. It is noteworthy that according to this interesting document, smoking in Azerbaijan will be fought through the sale of different brands of cigarettes in exactly the same packs. According to the deputy chairman of the Social Policy Committee of Milli Maclis, Musa Guliyev, after the adoption of this law in Azerbaijan all tobacco products will be sold in the same packs. The manufacturer's brand will be printed in an understated font so as not to attract attention. This, by the way, is how Australian authorities fight smoking too.  

The only "decoration" on a cigarette pack, according to the MP, will be the warnings about the dangers of smoking - naturalistic images of diseases in store for the enthusiasts nicotine. Musa Quliyev also noted that according to the draft law, the sale of cigarettes to minors will be fined. Now the draft law "On combating smoking" is being developed. It is not known exactly when it will be submitted to the Parliament.

Another argument 

Tobacco is the only legally available consumer product which kills people when it is used for its intended purpose. Smoking, including passive, is a major cause of cancer and cardiovascular diseases. The incidence of the cancer of the trachea and lungs is in first place in the world and in second in Azerbaijan. The content of harmful particles in the rooms for smokers in restaurants and cafes exceeds the norm by 22 times. Contrary to the popular opinion on the effectiveness of ventilation systems, in non-smoking halls the content of tobacco particles in the air exceeds the limit by 14 times. Only places where smoking is completely banned are safe for human health.

Quitting smoking is never too late. And if you give up the habit before the age of 30-35, you can save years of your life. This has been proven by a research conducted at Oxford University. Richard Peto, who led the research, says: "Smokers, both men and women who quit smoking before middle age, save an average of 10 years of their lives."

These words summarize more than 15 years of research involving over a million of UK women who started smoking in the 1950s and 60s (when smoking was a fashionable thing to do). Those who had time to say goodbye to smoking before their 30th birthday lost a maximum of one month of their lives because of cigarettes. Others robbed themselves of at least 10 years. This is another argument in favor of quitting smoking as soon as possible.