The study is about critical thinking that analysis a report of a team of collaborators from the University of Waterloo. The team was made up of Wendy de Gomez who was the lead writer, Lorraine Craig was in charge of managing the project, Megan Tait was dealing with data analysis and data visualization, Geoffrey T. Fong was the one who was the lead review, and anne C.K. Quah was the editor. In their work, they have reported on research findings and key indicators on the effectiveness of imposing taxes and price policies on cigarettes on the selected countries which they were using in conducting of their ITC project.
The major objective which they considered in conducting of the ITC project was offering findings of the how applying tax measures was an effective measure. These measures were
...of great importance to the public health stakeholders and policy makers they were supposed to use them so that they could promote evidence-based policies on tax and prices in regards to by article 6 of the FCTC. The authors of these report made a success because if the measures are well followed the risks which are related to smoking of tobacco shall drop drastically (Mackenbach et al., 2014).
From this work, it is evident that through the increase in tobacco prices and taxes was the best effective approach which shall control the consumption of tobacco worldwide as well as it effects to the health of the users. It was also going to prevent influence among youths in the society. The dangers of smoking are well known and the writers did not explain to us how only the increase in prices and
taxes shall reduce the consumption of tobacco. There are other cheaper types of tobacco which are readily available in the market and the smokers can get them lower price.
Worldwide smoking is the second modified risk element in terms of non-communicable disease. In the society, smoking is not distributed equally due to socio-economic gradient. In regard to the writers, the difference may be due to the difference in educational levels, income, and the environment. In my opinion, there are other major factors which contribute more to consumption of tobacco which the writers did not discuss and these are such as; depression, peer pressure, and personal background (WHO, 2016).
The only method which can be used in order to reduce the harm which is related to tobacco smoking is through encouraging the smokers to quit. It is not easy for the smokers to quit because to them it is like a hobby and some have been addicted and they usually think without smoking it is the end of their life’s. Many countries have taken a lot of intervention in both at population and individual base so that they could decrease smoking. Even if we believe these measures are successful there is no evidence. There is a success of measures which have been used so that the gap between the social economic can be proved evident. Some countries have applied the cessation behavioral therapy which hasn’t been of great help at all (Meara, Richards, and Cutler, 2008).
The major finding of the report is that countries should be considered in adjusting of Regular taxation to decrease affordability. To some extend this finding is true but it shall only have a
minimal impact because there are other alternative sources of tobacco which are being sold in the society at cheaper prices thus making them affordable to a large number of smokers. The authors did not explain how we shall cater for that issue. The countries which are shall not be controlled by imposing taxes on the cigarettes or increases in the price rate are the low income or middle-level countries. This measure shall reduce the number of cigarettes which can be consumed by the user (Reid et al., 2010)
The other finding was that increase in the price of cigarettes shall encourage quitting because they shall be so sold at a high price thus reducing their affordability. The authors of ICT report claims that 91 percent of smokers in countries which have high levels of income shall quit smoking if the prices were increased. In my opinion, this was not the best strategy but the smokers needed counseling more so that first before any measure was determined they could understand the major initiator of him or her to smoke (Hiscock et al., 2012).
The findings of the project of ICT have fully supported the recommendations which were made for the implementation of Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) of article 6. The increase of prices of cigarettes has really discouraged new smokers to start and acts as incentives to smokers so that they may quit smoking which I feel it is not really true. This is because there are also other better approaches which can be used to discourage people from consumption of tobacco such as the use of people who have been addicted and they are on
their journey of full recovery (Federico, Costa, and Kunst, 2007).These people can be used as an alive and living example which can explain to people how he has gradually changed to a better person even if he or she is nursing the harm which was caused by smoking (Businelle et al., 2010).
Dr. Douglas Bettcher, Director of WHO’s Department of Prevention of Noncommunicable Diseases (PND), commented: “For many years the tobacco industry has claimed that increased tobacco taxes leading to higher real prices do not improve public health but just encourage illicit tobacco trade’’, The authors of the work have insisted that there is existing evidence which shows that increase in the rate of price and the taxes plays a major role in the fight against the global tobacco epidemic (Bosdriesz, Willemsen, and Stronks, 2015)
The issue of addiction of tobacco products is in rising in the modern world as most of the youngsters have opted for other types of tobacco products which are easily affordable. In my opinion, the issue of controlling usage of tobacco products needs better measures not only thinking of the increase in the prices and taxes because the harm is big than we think of. In the future, we may not be having youngsters who are economically viable due to all the harm which shall be caused by these products.
The authors in their work they applied the concept of Woodward et al model throughout the paper. There is a significant gap in the information in terms of the public awareness of the harm which is associated with the use of tobacco products. Professor Geoffrey Fong who is the chief principal of ITC project
commented about the way there was a poor correlation of knowledge of the risks which are associated with the use of tobacco products. More needs to be done so that more lives are not lost to deaths which are related to usage of tobacco (Mackenbach et al., 2008).
The impact of the information which was released by the authors of ITC Project was of great importance because if it can be followed to the latter the death rates can be minimized. Governments should take the initiative of training the youth to take a role in productive activities shall improve the economic state of the country as well as those shall not have any negative impact on their lives. Examples of the productive activities are taking the role in playing any type of game in order to gain the country while on the other side the person is keeping fit. Imposition of taxes only is not enough in controlling of people against the use of tobacco products but they need to implement the best structures which shall have a positive impact on the life’s of the smokers and nonsmokers (Giskes et al., 2006).
Measures should be taken in control of tobacco product which is duty-free or tax-free while selling to a certain target group. There is the group which is already addicted to these products meaning that they cannot live without them so these are the one who shall do anything to avoid paying taxes (Nagelhout et al., 2012).
The evidence which the authors have provided is not adequate to convince smokers to quit smoking. Without creating of awareness of the harm which the tobacco causes to their health
is more than the pleasure they gain. The awareness can be created through other channels such as having training for youths, signboards, social media warnings such as the use of Facebook, twitter, and websites. It is very clear that the information which has been released in the report is not adequate to control, of usage of tobacco worldwide. They were supposed to have a more comprehensive argument which was going to deal with this issue. The banning of tobacco shall cause a lot of negative effects to both the manufacturers and countries because they also generate revenue. The author’s main interest was how they could reduce the harm of tobacco only. They did not address all other stakeholders who shall also be affected how they shall be compensated.
In my opinion, the authors addressed just a small percent of what needs to be done so that effects of smoking can be reduced. It seems they did not carry out an intensive research before writing their report because they issue of low-income countries is not clearly tackled but they have based their argument on the middle-income countries. Others factors which they did not consider is how we can spread the information to countries which are war torn. The report has very crucial information which is of help to the whole world.
References
- Bosdriesz, J.R., Willemsen, M.C. and Stronks, K. (2015) ‘Socioeconomic inequalities in smoking cessation in 11 European countries from 1987 to 2012’, Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 69(9), pp. 886–892. doi: 10.1136/jech-2014- 205171.
- Businelle, M.S., Kendzor, D.E., Reitzel, L.R., Costello, T.J., Cofta-Woerpel, L., Li, Y., Mazas, C.A., Vidrine, J.I., Cinciripini, P.M., Greisinger, A.J. and Wetter, D.W.
(2010) ‘Mechanisms linking socioeconomic status to smoking cessation: A structural equation modeling approach’, Health Psychology, 29(3), pp. 262–273. doi: 10.1037/a0019285.
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