If smoking were cut down to just five per cent of current levels by 2050, men could expect an increase in life expectancy by about one year, while women might see an increase of 0.2 years, a recent study published in The Lancet Public Health has said.
Achieving the five per cent smoking target could prevent 876 million years of life lost due to premature death, highlighting the profound impact of reducing tobacco use.
The study suggests that banning the sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products could prevent an estimated 1.2 million lung cancer deaths across 185 countries by 2095. Notably, about two-thirds of these preventable deaths would occur in low- and middle-income countries, where younger populations may be more vulnerable to the effects of tobacco.
The researchers analysed the potential benefits of a tobacco-free generation policy, which aims to restrict tobacco sales to those born after a specific year. This approach, however, has not yet been fully implemented in any country.
For instance, noted the study, New Zealand had enacted a law to prohibit the sale of tobacco to individuals born on or after January 1, 2009, but this legislation was repealed earlier this year.
Stein Emil Vollset, a senior author of the study from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington, emphasised the critical need to sustain and enhance efforts to reduce smoking rates worldwide.
He noted that the potential for avoiding millions of premature deaths underscores the importance of comprehensive tobacco control policies.
The study’s estimates regarding preventable deaths were derived from analysing the implications of banning tobacco sales on lung cancer mortality among people born between 2006 and 2010.
“We must not lose momentum in efforts to reduce, and ultimately eliminate smoking around the world. Our findings highlight that millions of premature deaths could be avoided by bringing an end to smoking,” said Vollset.
Commenting on the study’s observation, a representative from Mothers Against Vaping, a united front of concerned mothers combating the escalating vaping crisis asserted that there is a need to highlight health hazards of New-Age Gateway devices like e-cigarettes, vapes, and heat-not-burn devices for India to meet its tobacco control goals for the youth.
In fact, the authors of the Lancet study have advocated for not only maintaining existing tobacco control measures but also implementing new strategies to address the ongoing risks associated with smoking which are major reasons for many preventable diseases including cancers.
