31st May is World No Tobacco Day, an annual awareness day sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO) since 1987 to highlight the health risks associated with tobacco use.
The focus of World No Tobacco Day 2018 is “Tobacco and Heart Disease”. Tobacco use is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVD), including coronary heart disease, stroke and peripheral vascular disease (narrowing of arteries). According to WHO:
- Cardiovascular disease kills more people than any other cause of death worldwide.
- Tobacco use and second-hand smoke exposure contribute to about 12% of deaths from heart disease.
- Tobacco use is the second leading cause of cardiovascular disease after high blood pressure.
Tobacco smoke contains high level of carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide affects the heart by reducing the amount of oxygen the blood is able to carry. This means that the heart, lungs, brain, and other vital organs do not always receive enough oxygen to perform everyday functions. At the same time, nicotine causes increase in heart rate and blood pressure. Over time, this causes extraordinary “wear and tear” on the cardiovascular system. People who use tobacco are more likely to have heart attack, high blood pressure, blood clots, strokes, hemorrhages, aneurysm and other disorders of the cardiovascular system.
Smoking actually triples the risk of dying from heart disease. Cigarette smoking is a major cause of stroke by increasing clotting factors in the blood, increasing triglycerides levels and damaging the lining of blood vessels. The risk of stroke increases as the number of cigarettes smoked increases.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates show that smoking increases the risk:
- For coronary heart disease by 2 to 4 times
- For stroke by 2 to 4 times
- Of men developing lung cancer by 25 times
- Of women developing ling cancer by 25,7 times
Smoking causes diminished overall health, increased absenteeism from work, and increased health care utilization and cost.
According to the Tobacco Atlas for Tanzania (Source: American Cancer Society), every year:
- 17,2000 Tanzanians are killed by tobacco caused disease
- More than 17,000 T children (10-14 years old) use tobacco each day
- More than 247,3000 adults (15+ years old) continue to use tobacco each day
- 2.5% people still currently use smokeless tobacco
- Tobacco still kills 244 men and 86 women every week
What can Workplaces do?
As a society, we know that tobacco kills – tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable death.
Workplace wellness takes advantage of employers’ access to employees at an age where they can still change their long-term health trajectory.
Workplaces specifically are an ideal setting to encourage their employees to quit tobacco. Enlisted below are strategies for tobacco cessation at workplaces that have proven successful:
- Include no tobacco policies and tobacco cessation information and activities
- Involve staff, management, departments, smokers, non-smokers and ex-smokers
- Understand that quitting tobacco is a process and remove major barriers
- Tailor the tobacco cessation program to your workplace and consider the needs of employee, including shift work and language-appropriate written materials
- Extend tobacco cessation program and activities to spouse and family members
Embed tobacco cessation program as a part of whole health and wellness initiative to reinforce the fact that employee health is a priority in your workplace.