The price of cigarettes will go up, if The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) has its way. Their recent statement is “tough love” for smokers, who might live longer if they smoke fewer cigarettes.
It is hoped that by making smoking more expensive, smokers will take a financial cue to better understand the physical risks of smoking and quit the habit.
The IASLC has issued the new statement on Tobacco Control and Smoking Cessation on the global platform of the 16th World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC) in Denver.
“The statement calls for higher taxes on tobacco products, comprehensive advertising and promotion bans of all tobacco products and product regulation including pack warnings.”
A Major Strategy for the Lung Cancer Fight
Dr. Kenneth Michael Cummings, Professor, Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina and Co-Chair of IASLC’s Tobacco Control and Smoking Cessation Committee, stated “a recent estimate that showed that doubling the inflation-adjusted price of cigarettes could result in a 33 percent reduction in smoking prevalence.”
You might not realize it, but many low and middle-income countries can accomplish this by tripling the specific excise tax on tobacco. The current low rates explain the reason cigarettes are 70 percent cheaper in some low-income as opposed to high-income countries.
Here at Florida Lung, Asthma and Sleep Specialists, in Orlando, we don’t want our blog readers or patients to think that smoking is the only cause of lung cancer, but it is the major cause.
Dr. Cummings also noted such statistics as:
Current Facts About Lung Cancer
1. Over 80 percent of all lung cancer cases are caused by smoking.
2. Many of the other 20 percent of lung cancer patients can typically trace the cause of their condition to exposure to air pollution.
3. Likewise radon or occupational exposure to chemicals can cause lung cancer.
4. Some non-smokers, in that 20 percent, contract lung cancer for genetic reasons.
5. Globally speaking, there is no denying lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death.
IASLC urges its members and governments around the world to aggressively attack lung cancer by regulating tobacco usage through stringent economic and legislative policies. Next week, we will cover specifics of the recommendations for new strategies in the war on this killer disease.
Likewise, deep readers can check out the total statement at this informative online resource.