Studies of the number of young people who have a habit of smoking differ at different latitudes of the world. The Ministry of Health estimated in May 2022 that every year in Italy over 93,000 dead associated with tobacco smoke, and therefore Tobacco is responsible for more deaths than alcohol, AIDS, drugs, traffic accidents, homicides and suicides combined. But the study found given that this seems more disturbing, namely than the number more and more young smokers. In our country, every fifth boy smokes every day between the ages of 13 and 15. 18% use e-cigarettesare often perceived as less harmful than traditional cigarettes. Faith, which might seem illusory because I the data available in Italy suggests that these are “unfavorable products from both a safety and public health standpoint,” as he explained to us last May. Silvano Gallusresearcher AIRK Foundation at the Institute for Pharmacological Research Mario Negri IRCCS in Milan. In a recent study conducted at the University of Southern California, some researchers evaluated Biological consequences of using e-cigarettestaking into account any previous exposure to tobacco smoke. Results published in the journal Scientific reportsthey showed that gene expression people who use electronic cigarettes (e-cig) e those who smoke regular cigarettes are very similar. The Hill magazine reported on new results from a Gallup poll showing that the level of addiction to “traditional” cigarette smoking among young Americans has dropped from 35% to 12% over the past 20 years. the decline among those aged 18 to 29 was also more than double that of any other age group measured, and puts young people in second place among the least likely age groups to smoke cigarettes.. First of all, these are the elderly, that is, people over 65 who smoke cigarettes even less often: in 2022, only 8% do so.
Particularly fearful of smoking compared to younger boys New Zealand legislators, who over the course of several years launched a massive campaign to break the power they describe as “disgusting” over cigarette companies. And move from slogans and lessons in schools about the dangers of smoking to facts, they drafted the world’s first law that would make it impossible for the next generation to legally buy cigarettes.. Tuesday, December 13, 2020 Jacinda Ardern’s government has passed new laws to try to create a smoke-free generation. stipulating that teenagers can never legally buy cigarettes. The Prime Minister of New Zealand is known as a person who is more willing to change something than to say it. So, for example, when in 2020, instead of promoting the mental health of children and youth, he moved to the placement of mental health workers in all schools, even in primary ones.
The new measures, which have been discussed in parliament, are seen as a global novelty and have drawn both praise for the innovation and concerns about their untested nature. In addition to drastically lowering the smoking age, the rules also aim to drastically lower the nicotine content of cigarettes so that they can only be sold through specialized tobacco shops and not through shops and supermarkets (which, in truth, is already happening with us). However, a reflection (which columnist Eleanor Margoli also made a year ago in The Guardian) that I think it would be helpful to suggest is about the real effectiveness of laws prohibiting certain things. When did the criminalization of a substance ever work?
When alcohol was outlawed in the United States during the Prohibition era, Americans desperately wanted to keep drinking. So they did, buying contraband alcohol. And speaking of the United States again, their war on drugs is not going well. More than 100,000 overdose deaths were reported in the US in 2021, according to official figures, the highest number ever and a sharp increase from 2020. Also, according to the CDC, one in fourteen Americans suffers from some form of dependence on legal or illegal substances. Drug use increased during the pandemic years due to prolonged isolation and other factors such as job loss or difficulty coping with bereavement. This unforeseen circumstance further exacerbated a problem that had already taken on enormous proportions in the United States for several years and even caused a reduction in the life expectancy of the population.
But back to New Zealand. It’s hard to disagree with legislation that gives the tobacco industry a much-needed kick in the face. But criminalizing tobacco may not be the right approach.. If people want to smoke, they will smoke, and they will buy cigarettes from anyone who offers them. “And for New Zealand’s Maori and Pacifica communities,” writes Margoly, “(who are statistically poorer than white kiwis), smoking rates are higher. In view of the total ban on smoking, New Zealand plans to reduce the amount of nicotine in cigarettes. This in itself is what opponents of the new measures claim will make people spend more money on more cigarettes to get the same effect.” Cigarettes, like sugar and alcohol, should perhaps be left to burn out on their own, rather than resorting to prohibitive measures that seem premature. Manufacturers of sweets and sodas are already starting to sell low-sugar versions of their products, for example. And another survey by GlobalData found that globally, 38% of people have never smoked, and for Gen Z, that’s a whopping 68% who have never smoked. Except the 70s, 80s, 90s. Zoomers obviously don’t want to see crow’s feet and yellow teeth in their TikTok feeds, so it might be even more effective to let them lead the fight against the smoking habit. Where it is forbidden, there is a desire to transgress.
Source: Elle