Intro to Health - Health Issues
What is the health issue?
The health issue I chose to evaluate is cigarette smoking. Smoking has been a growing issue for many years and in the past few years, legislation has put lots of restrains on where you can smoke and the packaging requirements on smoking packaging.
How did this health issue arise?
For many years, smoking has been an increasing issue. Individuals where able to smoke wherever they please. This include supermarkets, hospitals and in restaurants. This means that not only where people smoking more frequently, but bystanders where passively inhaling the cigarette smoke. The specific issue I am focusing on is lung cancer. Lung cancer is one of many bad results of smoking cigarettes. Nowadays, there is legislation put in place that there are restricted areas to where people can smoke.
Who are the stakeholders in relation to this use and what control do they have over it?
The stakeholders for tobacco would be the industries in which produce the cigarettes. "The tobacco industry generally refers to the companies involved in the manufacture of cigarettes, cigars, snuff, chewing and pipe tobacco" [Tobacco industry, 2013]. The tobacco industry's now have very limited control over the issue. Several years ago, tobacco industry's were permitted to advertise their cigarettes but nowadays, legislation is in place that tobacco industry's cannot promote their product anymore. Therefore the stakeholders have no control what so ever over this issue.
What data is available to determine the significance of the health issue?
The following graph shows lung cancer mortality in Australia from 1910-2004 per 100,000 people.
Lung cancer mortality, Australia 1910-2004
* Age-standardised rates per 100,000 persons (World Standard Population).
Source: Cancer Epidemiology Centre, The Cancer Council Victoria.
[Lung cancer, 2013]
This graph shows the significance of cigarette smoking within Australia and the mortality rate. "Smoking-related diseases killed 14,900 Australians in 2004-05. This means there were 40 preventable deaths every day" [Smoking Statistics, 2012].
How is the population put at risk because of this particular health issue?
"Major tobacco-related diseases include cancer, heart disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Smoking kills more men