Prohibiting Tobacco Use Among Youth Could Save 1.2 Million Lives from Cancer, According to Study
A modelling study from the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer suggests that prohibiting tobacco sales to individuals born between 2006 and 2010 could avert approximately 1.2 million lung cancer fatalities by the century’s end.
According to the WHO, smoking accounts for about 85% of all lung cancer cases, which is the most lethal form of cancer globally.
The research indicated that if current trends persist, there will be nearly three million lung cancer deaths among those born from 2006 to 2010.
However, if tobacco sales were prohibited for these 650 million individuals, the study estimates that around 1.2 million lives could be saved by 2095, as outlined in research published in The Lancet Public Health journal.
The findings revealed that more than 45% of lung cancer deaths among men globally could be prevented, alongside nearly 31% among women.
Co-author of the study Isabelle Soerjomataram noted, “This discrepancy is attributed to the tobacco industry’s gender-targeted marketing over the past few decades.”
Existing measures ‘insufficient’
Interestingly, in certain regions like North America and parts of Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, the model indicated that ending tobacco sales could result in a higher number of lives saved among women compared to men.
The analysis showed that the greatest number of lives (78%) could be saved among women in Western Europe, while the highest percentage for men was nearly 75% in Central and Eastern Europe.
The study also pointed out that the “deaths we estimated could not be prevented might be attributed to other risk factors linked to lung cancer,” such as air pollution or exposure to second-hand smoke.
Tobacco-free generation initiatives have already been launched in some nations, including New Zealand and certain regions of Australia and the US.
In 2022, New Zealand became the first country to prohibit cigarette sales to individuals born after 2008. However, late last year, the newly elected conservative government announced plans to repeal this measure.
Conversely, the newly elected Labour government in the UK has expressed support for former Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s proposal to disallow cigarette sales to anyone born after January 2009.
Nevertheless, the study authors emphasized that tobacco-free generation policies alone are insufficient to address the public health crisis posed by tobacco, particularly for current smokers.
They advocated for effective strategies such as raising taxes on cigarettes, expanding smoke-free environments, and providing support for smoking cessation initiatives.
