Introduction
“Tobacco is the single greatest preventable cause of death in the world today” (WHO, 2009). This briefing paper proposes to control the use of smokeless tobacco (SLT) and its detrimental health outcomes in male Pakistani adolescent population. The suggested course of action with new initiatives and strategies previously proposed in action plan will be further explicated and better implementation of existing policies will be emphasized upon. These new initiatives includes, involvement of health care professionals, school and community-based intervention, mass media campaigns, setting up of quit-lines and support groups and carrying out baseline and follow-up survey. These new instigations are based on the need analysis for controlling …show more content…
According to Bile et al. (2010), the most commonly used forms of SLT in Pakistan are paan or betel (which includes tobacco, areca nut, catechu, tobacco and slaked lime in a betel leaf), naswar (contains tobacco, oil, lime, flavouring and colouring agents), chalia/supari (which is plain areca nut or coated with tobacco) and gutka (consists of tobacco, areca nut, lime, catechu, paraffin and flavours).
Reasons for Smokeless Tobacco use
SLT is commonly used in South Asia mainly because of its wide acceptability due to its relation with socializing, family and cultural tradition, affordability, accessibility and lack of prohibitive regulations (Kakde, Bhopal and Jones, 2012). Increase use of SLT is also due to the lack of taboo against using it and misconceptions about it use which include, that it is less harmful than cigarette and it has medicinal value for improvement in body ache (Imam et al., 2007).
According to CDC (2014), low SLT prices, weak warning labels, underdeveloped surveillance, lack of support group to help with cessation and less availability of resources are contributing factors to increase use of SLT. There is lack of awareness about the fatal consequences of cancer linked to using SLT, many people use it as breath freshener, antidote for morning sickness and for relief from gastric disturbances (WHO,
“Tobacco is the single greatest preventable cause of death in the world today” (WHO, 2009). This briefing paper proposes to control the use of smokeless tobacco (SLT) and its detrimental health outcomes in male Pakistani adolescent population. The suggested course of action with new initiatives and strategies previously proposed in action plan will be further explicated and better implementation of existing policies will be emphasized upon. These new initiatives includes, involvement of health care professionals, school and community-based intervention, mass media campaigns, setting up of quit-lines and support groups and carrying out baseline and follow-up survey. These new instigations are based on the need analysis for controlling …show more content…
According to Bile et al. (2010), the most commonly used forms of SLT in Pakistan are paan or betel (which includes tobacco, areca nut, catechu, tobacco and slaked lime in a betel leaf), naswar (contains tobacco, oil, lime, flavouring and colouring agents), chalia/supari (which is plain areca nut or coated with tobacco) and gutka (consists of tobacco, areca nut, lime, catechu, paraffin and flavours).
Reasons for Smokeless Tobacco use
SLT is commonly used in South Asia mainly because of its wide acceptability due to its relation with socializing, family and cultural tradition, affordability, accessibility and lack of prohibitive regulations (Kakde, Bhopal and Jones, 2012). Increase use of SLT is also due to the lack of taboo against using it and misconceptions about it use which include, that it is less harmful than cigarette and it has medicinal value for improvement in body ache (Imam et al., 2007).
According to CDC (2014), low SLT prices, weak warning labels, underdeveloped surveillance, lack of support group to help with cessation and less availability of resources are contributing factors to increase use of SLT. There is lack of awareness about the fatal consequences of cancer linked to using SLT, many people use it as breath freshener, antidote for morning sickness and for relief from gastric disturbances (WHO,