In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of tobacco users. Traditional smoking of cigarettes is common, but there are newer ways of smoking. Some of the common ways are vaping, e-cigarettes, hookah, chewing tobacco, and smoking. Vaping, especially in the younger generation, has increased the number of people likely to be affected by lung cancer and other respiratory system issues such as airwave blockage and asthma. Smoking for pregnant women can lead to health complications for the baby and may cause sudden infant death (SID). Creating a health promotion plan that educates the public on the effects of using tobacco and the side effects it causes, could potentially influence and reduce the number of smokers, both traditional and modern smokers.
Although tobacco and nicotine-containing cigarettes have been around for a while, the number of people smoking them is increasing as new smoking techniques are developed. According to the World Health Organization (WHO, 2022), 22.3% of the global population used tobacco, 36.7% of all men, and 7.8% of the world’s women. Men, American Indians, Alaska Natives, those with behavioral health disorders, LGBT individuals, and those with lower incomes and educational attainment are more likely to start smoking and are less likely to stop (Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, n.d.).
Smoking causes many side effects, killing more than 8 million people each year, with 7 million of those deaths being the result of direct tobacco use, while around 1.2 million are the result of non-smokers being exposed to second-hand smoke (WHO, 2022). Of the 1.3 billion tobacco users globally, more than 80% (1.04 billion) reside in low- and middle-income nations (WHO, 2022). Low living standards and high unemployment rates are prevalent in these places.
The younger generation is being affected by the new methods of smoking as they lack valuable information concerning the matter. Digital methods of smoking such as e-cigarettes and vaping are surrounded by myths and misinformation that contribute to their global use. For example, there is a belief and misconception that vaping does not affect a person’s health (Jaradat et al., 2022).
However, vaping like any other form of smoking can lead to cancer, lung issues, and other extrapulmonary effects. According to (Kalkhoran et al., 2018), the people most affected by smoking problems are those living in more disadvantaged socioeconomic groups. Living in areas where smoking is heavily concentrated in their social contexts, may influence a person to start using the products. This is factored by the ease of availability of cigarettes and other tobacco and nicotine products, as well as influencers from the environment.
Smoking associated with the younger generation poses a threat to the future and also the economy of the affected nation. Youths make up a large percentage of the labor force in many countries. If they experience health problems and therefore, are unable to carry out their daily activities, there is a high chance the economy of the country will course. Smoking causes health problems such as stroke, heart conditions, and other respiratory and medical conditions. This makes it important for health providers to come up with a health promotion plan that helps them overcome smoking addiction and also prevent new cases.
Creating a smoking use cessation health promotion plan requires talking to people living in the affected areas. Creating a sociogram for the affected area can help with identifying all the predisposing factors that increase tobacco usage. To create one, a health professional will interact with the youths from the region and find out more. This will create a sense of security between them and the professional, thus allowing sharing of information.
Once the information is gathered, mapping out the plan becomes easier as it is clear where and what the issues in the areas are. This may include information on how teenagers access the products, how much they cause, and the reasons for using tobacco. It will also enable the professional to realize and establish the level of knowledge they have about using tobacco and its effects both on the environment and the user.
The ultimate health promotion plan is educating them on different ways to overcome smoking addiction as well as helping others effectively reduce the numbers associated with smoking. The plan can also focus on using a comprehensive approach that reduces smoking initiation in adolescents and young adults as preventing adolescents from starting is key to reducing smoking in adults (ODPHP, n.d). For those people that are heavily addicted, the professional can introduce them to cessation medications such as bupropion, and nicotine replacement (Kalkhoran et al., 2018). Replacing and reducing their daily intake of nicotine and tobacco will help them in their recovery journey.
Other methods the professional can use include involving the government and the media to create awareness about the issue in the chosen area. They can use a comprehensive approach, through the government, which includes raising the minimum age for tobacco sales to 21 years to help prevent teenagers from purchasing the products (WHO, 2022). Additionally, gaining support and forming a working group, conducting a needs assessment and getting to know the community, developing an action plan, encouraging participation, communicating with the public through the media, implementing change, monitoring, and evaluating change adjustments, can also be included in the health promotion plan.
Some major approaches in one’s life can be used to encourage and create a health promotion plan, thus helping in tobacco and nicotine use cessation. They include the medical approach, behavioral approach, educational approach, and empowerment approach (Fleming & Parker, 2020). Each approach focuses on a different perspective on preventing or stopping smoking. The medical approach seeks to prevent such behavior before it begins or give up smoking due to a medical condition associated with the behavior. The behavioral approach focuses on lifestyle issues especially the individual’s responsibility for personal health.
The educational approach is less about placing responsibility on individuals in relation to their health-related behaviors and more about giving information and facilitating people to make informed choices about their lifestyle choices. Finally, the empowerment approach entails giving people the means to have increased control over the determinants that affect their health status. All these approaches will help the professional achieve their ultimate goal of cessation of smoking.
In conclusion, it is clear that promoting tobacco cessation can have a great impact on reducing the burden of diseases and improving the population’s health, especially the youth since they are the main focus group. Once the health promotion plan is completed the physical and socially supportive environment for the client, should be ensured in order to maintain nicotine and tobacco cessation and prevent people from going back to smoking.
References
Fleming, M. L., & Parker, E. (2020). Health promotion: Principles and practice in the Australian context. Routledge.
Jaradat, N., Imtiaz, R., Zahir, R., Aijazuddin, I., Kalantar, A., & Papcun, T. (2022). Debunking Medical Myths: Vaping Risks.
Kalkhoran, S., Benowitz, N. L., & Rigotti, N. A. (2018). Prevention and treatment of tobacco use: JACC health promotion series. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 72(9), 1030-1045. Web.
Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. (n.d.). Tobacco Use. Healthy People 2030. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Web.
World Health Organization. (2020). “Tobacco.” Web.
