INTRODUCTION
Consumption of tobacco is a complex public health issue and social problems (Kelker et al, 2013). Smoking is the leading cause of a single largest preventable morbidity worldwide (WHO, Tobacco profile, 2011, Spanopoulos et al, 2013). Opening of our society has led to increase in adolescents' smoking, World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated over 1.2 billion are smokers in the world; and nearly six million deaths worldwide each year (WHO, 2011). In 2009 over 80,000 deaths occurred in England as a result of smoking (DOH, 2011). Statistics (Fig 1) shows 150, 000 children between ages 11-15 are regular smokers in England (ASH, 2012; Cancer Research, UK, 2011), 21% of girls a 19% of boys indicating actively smoker (NHS; 2012). However, If current trends persist, one billion people would be killed in the 21st century, 10 million estimated deaths per year will be attributable to its use by 2020 (WHO; 2008). New strategies have to be planned in order to tackle and reduce the consumption of tobacco in the adolescent. This assignment aims to synthesis and evaluate the current evidence on tobacco consumption amongst adolescence in both gender aged between 11-15 years old who are living in Birmingham- West Midlands (UK) . Current polices and strategies which are already in use would be critically appraised, various health behaviors will also be analyzed.
Fig 1: Statistic of adolescent smoking in both sexes
http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer-info/cancerstats/types/lung/smoking/children
BACKGROUND
Birmingham is Britain’s second largest city located in the west midlands region of England. It is a diverse and densely populated city of over a million of people (Birmingham Public Health, 2012, Simpson et al 2007)...
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...or associated of its consumption. In another attempt to prevent young people in England and Wales starting to smoke the age at which a person could legally purchase cigarettes was raised from 16 years to 18 years.
CONCLUSION
To conclude, tobacco consumption is a big public health challenge where it should be address as such. A comprehensive framework of tobacco control policies has been implemented in the UK to reduce the burden so the framework continues to develop. Strategies which are implemented by Government has helped in reducing the number of adolescent smoking who are the key drivers in the epidemic in England over the past years however, other strategies might have a few downsides but this can be resolved. Communities and schools must be working other agencies to start on a small scale before turning out the programs to a large scale implementation.
There was a Master Settlement Agreement in 1998 that banned cigarette marketing that would target teenagers under eighteen. “Tobacco companies continue to advertise in magazine articles...
In the year 2000, smoking has fallen out of public favour and is seen as an undesirable social and physical health hab...
From the above few paragraphs, we are able to learn how young smokers can be affected by smoking cigarette especially young smokers that are legally allowed to smoke. Currently the age limit of smoking cigarette is starting to change from 18 to 21; according to the New York Times Needham, Mass.., Boston and New York, raised the smoking age to 21 (Hartocollis). States start to increase the age limit of smoking cigarette to 21 because they have realized they were using the wrong age limit for smoking cigarette. The united states spend a lot of money on health care concerning cigarette smoking, but if the age limit is raised to 21, The country might save millions of dollars.
Over the years, the partnership between health ministers and health groups has produced some very substantial gains on the subject of tobacco use. Smoking bans that were thought of as radical 20 years ago are now commonplace. Public awareness of smoking risks has never been higher. And our new Tobacco Act sets a world standard for anti-tobacco legislation.
Teen smoking has been increasing since 1991. There are economic, psychological and sociological factors that play an important role in this increase.
Smoking is a lifestyle, a habit, and a trend. Smoking has become a social activity among teens, connecting them through the craving of a smoke. Smoking is seen as seductive and cool in the media and movies which influences teenagers to smoke even more. The World Health Organization has stated that “Tobacco kills around 6 million people each year. More than 5 million of those deaths are the result of direct tobacco use while more than 600,000 are the result of non-smokers being exposed to second-hand smoke.” As of April 2016, only 7% of teenagers in the U.S. smoke, but it is said that tobacco use will kill 8 million people annually by 2030. 99% of adult smokers start in their years as teenagers. Smoking is an epidemic that has taken control of people’s lives since 1881 and the media since the early 1900s. Smoking currently kills about 440,000 people a year in the U.S. I feel that it is an issue because it is the #1 most preventable way to die, but people still continue to smoke because of how it looks and how they are perceived as a person if they do. The fact that people become addicted to a trend that will attribute to their death for the sake of being thought of as cooler, is a problem that needs to be addressed.
This essay is aimed to explore, analyse and discuss smoking in adults. Smoking is a public health issue as such is one of the major contributors to high mortality and ill-health in the adults which is preventable (Health and Excellence Care (NICE) (2012). The United Kingdom (UK) is known to have the highest number of people with a history of smoking among people with low socio-economic status (Scriven and Garman, 2006; Goddard and Green, 2005). Smoking is considered a serious epidemic in the UK and the National institute for Health and Excellence Care (NICE, 2012) stated that 28% of adults with low economic status are tobacco smokers compared with 13% of those with economic status or having professional incomes. Furthermore almost 80,000 people died in England in 2011 as a result of smoking related issues and 9,500 admissions of children died due to being second hand smokers (WHO, 2005). This essay focuses on definition of smoking, the aim is to underline the relationship between smoking and the determinants of health and then, the size, prevalence, and morbidity trend of smoking will be explored. Furthermore, some public health policies introduced to confront the issues around smoking will be investigated and finally, the roles of nurses will identify health needs the public so as to promote good health and their wellbeing.
If people were to be against lowering the smoking age, they may address the issues of how others influence young teens’ daily lives and how smoking is everywhere. Many people under the age of 18 have smoked cigarettes and due to the flavoring in some tobacco products they come off as more appealing. Studies show in the database of youth and tobacco use that nearly 2 out of every 100 middle schoolers have used smokeless tobacco and that 6 out of 100 high schoolers have (Youth and Tobacco Use). Data
Every year cigarette smoking is responsible for 500,000 premature deaths (Nugel), you do not want to be just another statistic, do you? America’s first cash crop was tobacco. That means that tobacco has been around for a really long time. It was not until 1865, though, that cigarettes were sold commercially. They were sold to soldiers at the end of the Civil War (Dowshen). From then, cigarettes spread like wildfire, and it was not until 1964 that anyone made a stand about the negative effects of tobacco and cigarettes. People start smoking for all different reasons, some to fit in and some to “escape”. Regardless, it is a horrible habit. 3900 children will try their first cigarette today. Amongst adults who currently smoke, 68% of them began at age 18 or younger, and 85% at 21 or younger (American Lung Association). And of all those people, 70% say if they were given another chance they would never have picked up that first cigarette (Tobacco Free Maine). Smoking is responsible for 1 and 5 deaths in the united states, and is the number one preventable cause of death (NLH). Smoking burns and there is no doubt about that, but before one picks up that cigarette, understand the negative effects on not only oneself, but others affected by ones poor choices, like second-hand smoke. Because of smoking cigarettes, many types of cancer, decrease of life quality, and negative health effects have become all too common in the world today.
...more than twice as likely as youth without smoking parents to become smokers. More than 90 percent of adult smokers started when they were teens. A 2001 Survey found that 69.4 percent of teenage smokers reported never being asked for proof of age when buying cigarettes in a store. The same survey found that 62.4 percent were allowed to buy cigarettes even when the retailer was aware they were under eighteen.
It is outstanding to note that, the number of Canadians who smoke is at staggering 21%, that constitutes to a population of 5.9 million smokers aged 15 years and older (Sen & Wirjanto 2010). Additionally, approximately 27,000 avoidable deaths stem from tobacco use yearly in Canada in recent years. Sen & Wirjanto also notes that 11.2 %, of youth in Canada that is approximately 374,000 are current smokers (2010). Most of them, in the absence of the required policies, will probably keep on smoking for years to come. A youth smoking survey conducted showed that, a high percentage of the youth engage are smoking
In recent years, smoking has started to take over the lives of many teenagers. The number of teenagers smoking has increased dramatically in the last several years. This is a major problem because smoking can lead to sickness and major diseases that can lead to death. Teens tend to participate in this while out of the presence of an adult figure. Although teens should not be smoking in the first place, an adult figure should be around to help insure that their children are doing the right things, even when they are behind sealed doors with their peers. Teenagers as they mature become a model for younger children and when they set the example of smoking can ruin their respectable image to the children that look up to them.
Smoking is the leading cause of preventable morbidity and premature mortality in the United Kingdom (UK), and smoking related deaths exceed the sum of deaths from the next six most common causes of preventable mortality (HM Government, 2011). Statistics show that the prevalence of smokers is highest in the younger age group
There is an urgent need to make non-smoking appear cool and desirable. The number of people lighting up is on the rise.In 1986, when the first National Health and Mobility Survey was carried out by the Ministry of Health to find out the number of smokers, the figure stood at 21.5 per cent. However, in the last study published in 1996, the number of smokers rose to 24.8 per cent.Of these figures, those aged between 15 and 24 in 1986 made up 11.5 per cent. In 1996, the age barrier shifted to between 18 and 24. Yet the percentage increased to 33.6 per cent, proving that young smokers are lighting up more, influenced by their elders and trying to fit into the the image of cool as depicted by their movie and music idols.
Stopping teens from smoking is a big challenge many communities face today. Many communities can only watch without action while local businesses continue to sell tobacco products to minors, even under risk of penalty of law.