Equity Impact Of Population Level Interventions On Smoking: A Discussion

Target Groups for Intervention

Discuss about the Equity Impact of Population Level Interventions.

Smoking is common among many populations, and various governments across the globe have put up policies to advocate for its abolition or help them do away with this behavior. In New Zealand, in particular, the government has set out a national target, which is; help quit smoking targeting smokers in primary health care and pregnant women. However, recently, the target group has extended to include the whole population (Jha, & Peto, 2014). There are various reasons for the government choosing the selected target. Firstly, smoking would pose a serious challenge to pregnant women before, during and after pregnancy. In addition to that, a child born from a smoking mother will likely have complications and this something that the government would like to avoid (Benowitz, & Goniewicz, 2013). Moreover, over 5000 people die each year as a result of smoking, and this figure will increase in future. Thus, the government is keen to extend the target group to include the whole population to avoid more deaths in future. Patients with primary health care form another target group that the government has identified. The government rolling on the initiative of better help for smokers to quit would see patients avoiding smoking or quitting it all together after they are discharged (Grana, & Ling, 2014). Additionally, for lung cancer patient, the government would help patients reduce the further progression of the disease.

One of the current initiatives that relate to the above initiative is an increase of 10 percent of tax on a cigarette every year until 2020. The initiative, that is, increasing taxation on cigarettes would increase the cost of production of cigarettes, and in effect increasing its price. In addition to that, increasing taxation on a cigarette will scare away manufactures thus reducing or preventing more people from engaging in its production. It is an effort that will reduce the sale, distribution, and production of cigarettes (Grana, Benowitz, & Glantz, 2014). On the other hand, prices of cigarettes will shoot making it less affordable or rather expensive among smokers. It is another initiative that will discourage people from buying cigarettes for the habit seems to be expensive. The target group for this initiative will be for the whole population in New Zealand. As highlighted above, there are many ways that this will help people quit smoking. About helping people quit smoking, there has been a reduction of pregnant women smoking according to recent research (Nides et al., 2014). In addition to that, a study carried out on the youth smoking show that the youth are starting to avoid smoking terming it an expensive habit. Moreover, there has been complaining from the cigarette manufacturing companies on the initiative of increasing taxation, something that suggests, are not happy and may not be encouraging for other similar players.

Initiatives: Taxation, Advertising Ban, and Quit Smoking Policies

In Bay of Plenty region, there should be initiatives that can be put in place to discourage people from smoking, or rather would make them quit smoking, for pregnant mothers, patients and the whole population at large. Firstly, Bay of plenty governance should support a ban on advertising tobacco products on posters, stores and other advertising avenues. The program would see that cigarette and tobacco products are not seen by youngsters as something pleasant to engage in or rather as an item a person ought to brag about indulging into (World Health Organization, 2015). It is one way that will reduce the popularity of cigarette and in long run, make people stop smoking. Moreover, the region should hold campaigns and seminar to sensitize pregnant mothers to stop smoking before, during and after pregnancy. The seminars and campaigns focus on educating women on the side effects of smoking while pregnant, both for the new born baby and the mother. This initiative would make women to be conscious of the manner in which they are going to interfere with the safety of children when smoking. In addition to that, it would make them aware of the side effects that come with smoking. A person is likely to be part of the program that he or she understands well that a program that he is not are of or lacks the necessary knowledge (World Health Organization, 2015). On the other hand, the region can spearhead program that are aimed at putting policies that limit the sale of tobacco. It is a program that would make it hard for the majority of people to access cigarettes and in effect, help people quit smoking. On the other hand, there should be the minimum age for people to start smoking. It is true that children like imitating and learning from what they see from adults (El-Zaatari et al., 2015). Putting a legislation that limits children from smoking at a tender age would limit the number of youngsters smoking and decide whether to smoke or not at a later age when they are mature enough to make the right decision (Carter et al., 2015). Additionally, there ought to be integration of the school curriculum on why children need not to smoke after finishing school. It will offer them an opportunity to see why they ought not to smoke either as adults or when pregnant. Moreover, the region should increase services that are geared towards quit smoking and better access to services. It will help patients that need to quit smoking and also make pregnant women access services that aid those aces services they need to quit smoking (US Department of Health and Human Services, 2014). On the other hand, the region need to train professionals on making up follow up, either through mobile phones or face to face consultations to assist patients or pregnant mothers to have the services they need to quit smoking. In addition to that, the region, through their governance should put in place agencies that can be instrumental in implementing policies geared towards embracing quit smoking policies (Brown, Platt, & Amos, 2014). Through these agencies, it would be easier to identify the challenges that exist with the current policy and implement it or rectify the mistakes. Moreover, it would be easier to put into practice the policies that can aid to do away with smoking because now there would be an oversight authority. On the other hand, health care professional need to be motivated to carry on their duty with morale and with total devotion to helping people quit smoking is a commitment that lasts for a long time but not in a span of a short time.

Proposal Details

In this regard, it would be important that the management consider my suggestion in helping the people quit smoking. There are many ways that the management can do this at the moment. Firstly, they need to fund my proposal about giving me more time to have the comprehensive details on the shortcoming and how the region can overcome them. Moreover, the management can do a wonderful job in making this proposal a top priority by giving it go ahead to be completed to its fruition. Additionally, it would be important if the management finds it time to look at this proposal in depth and the implication that people of the region may face should the suggestions stated fail to materialize. I, therefore, find it important that the management corporate in the best way possible in having this project go through.

References

Benowitz, N. L., & Goniewicz, M. L. (2013). The regulatory challenge of electronic cigarettes. Jama, 310(7), 685-686.

Brown, T., Platt, S., & Amos, A. (2014). Equity impact of population-level interventions and policies to reduce smoking in adults: a systematic review. Drug and alcohol dependence, 138, 7-16.

Carter, B. D., Abnet, C. C., Feskanich, D., Freedman, N. D., Hartge, P., Lewis, C. E., … & Jacobs, E. J. (2015). Smoking and mortality—beyond established causes. New England journal of medicine, 372(7), 631-640.

El-Zaatari, Z. M., Chami, H. A., & Zaatari, G. S. (2015). Health effects associated with waterpipe smoking. Tobacco control, 24(Suppl 1), i31-i43.

Grana, R. A., & Ling, P. M. (2014). “Smoking revolution”: a content analysis of electronic cigarette retail websites. American journal of preventive medicine, 46(4), 395-403.

Grana, R., Benowitz, N., & Glantz, S. A. (2014). E-cigarettes. Circulation, 129(19), 1972-1986.

Jha, P., & Peto, R. (2014). Global effects of smoking, of quitting, and of taxing tobacco. New England Journal of Medicine, 370(1), 60-68.

Nides, M. A., Leischow, S. J., Bhatter, M., & Simmons, M. (2014). Nicotine blood levels and short-term smoking reduction with an electronic nicotine delivery system. American journal of health behavior, 38(2), 265-274.

Polosa, R., Rodu, B., Caponnetto, P., Maglia, M., & Raciti, C. (2013). A fresh look at tobacco harm reduction: the case for the electronic cigarette. Harm reduction journal, 10(1), 19.

US Department of Health and Human Services. (2014). The health consequences of smoking—50 years of progress: a report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 17.

World Health Organization. (2015). The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control: 10 years of implementation in the African Region. World Health Organization.

World Health Organization. (2015). WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco smoking 2015. World Health Organization.