PAHO worried novel products could undo decades of work against tobacco use

Shannon-Dale Reid

10 months ago

Share Story

Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Dr. Jarbas Barbosa says while the percentage of the population using tobacco in the Americas declined from 28% to 16.3% between 2000 and 2020, novel products and misleading information from the tobacco industry, especially targeting young people, threaten to undo those gains made.

While speaking ahead of the World No Tobacco Day, the Director encouraged effective policies to protect young people from the usage of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products.

E-cigarettes are the most common form of electronic nicotine delivery and according to PAHO, their emissions contain nicotine and other toxic substances that are harmful to both users and those exposed to them (secondhand smoke).

Dr. Barbosa explained that although eight countries in the region have banned the marketing of e-cigarettes and four of heated tobacco products, PHAO is concerned as 14 countries are yet to take any regulatory action.

The organization says tobacco use kills one million people per year in the Americas, one every 34 seconds.

Additionally, it says 15% of cardiovascular disease deaths, 24% of deaths from cancer, and 45% of deaths from chronic respiratory diseases are attributable to tobacco use.

Meanwhile, in the region, 11% of young people use tobacco.