A new brief
reveals that smoking remains one of the leading causes of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD),
a common lung disease that causes breathing problem and claiming the lives of
over 3 million people every year. There is an estimated 392 million people
living with COPD and three quarters of them live in low- and middle-income
countries.
Tobacco
smoking accounts for over 70% of COPD cases in high-income countries. In
low-and-middle-income-countries tobacco smoking accounts for 30–40% of COPD
cases with household air pollution being the other major risk factor.
“As well as
being a major cause of long-term disability, COPD is the third commonest cause
of death worldwide. COPD due to smoking remains a major problem globally and
there is a growing epidemic of smokers in low- and middle-income countries as
tobacco companies actively seek new customers. Around 80% of the world’s 1.3
billion tobacco users now live in LMIC. This will undoubtedly lead to an
enormous increase in the global burden of COPD in the coming decades. We must
act now to reduce smoking rates, to ensure people with COPD are diagnosed as
early as possible and to ensure all patients around the world receive effective
therapy.” said
Prof. David
MG Halpin, Consultant Physician & Professor of Respiratory Medicine, Member
of GOLD Board of Directors and
the Forum of International Respiratory Societies.
People
living with COPD face a greater risk of developing lung cancer, cardiovascular
diseases, and type 2 diabetes. The COVID-19 pandemic has further underscored
the challenges in accessing healthcare for these individuals. Quitting smoking will not
only reduce your risk of COPD but
also significantly reduces the risk of these severe
coexisting conditions.
Findings show that tobacco
smoke dramatically
impacts children’s lung
development, substantially
increasing the risk of COPD later in life. The tobacco industry uses aggressive marketing strategies to promote nicotine and
tobacco products which
target children and adolescents.
“The scale
of morbidity and mortality relating to COPD is a huge concern. We must
prioritize smoking cessation, as well as inhalers and pulmonary rehabilitation.
Sadly, inequities in access to diagnosis and treatment persist. We need to
accelerate efforts to integrate COPD care into primary care in low- and
middle-income countries where three quarters of people with COPD live.”
explains Dr Bente Mikkelsen, WHO Director of Noncommunicable Diseases.
“Now is the
time to act. Governments must implement effective tobacco control measures to
protect the most vulnerable, particularly children. Protecting our youth and
raising awareness about the tobacco industry’s deceptive marketing tactics is a
top priority in the global fight against tobacco.” said Dr
Ruediger Krech,
WHO Director of Health Promotion
