Het gebruik van de tabak wordt wijd wereldwijd erkend als belangrijkste oorzaak van gezondheidsproblemen. De huidige wereldwijd rokende patronen stellen dat 500 miljoen levende mensen vandaag uiteindelijk zullen sterven aan tabaksgebruik.
Het probleem is ernstiger in de onder ontwikkelende wereld, waar het aantal rokers naar schatting zal stijgen in een tempo van 2% per jaar, overtreffend de globale bevolkingstoename.
Enerzijds, vermindert de tabaksconsumptie in de ontwikkelde wereld bij een gemiddelde van 1% per jaar. Van de geschatte 10 miljoen jaarlijkse sterfgevallen die tegen 2030 worden verwacht, die op betrekking hebbende op het roken van tabak zal 7 miljoen in ontwikkelingslanden voorkomen.
Cost of Tobacco on health services and
Economy of the family in the poor developing country
Introduction to the Tobacco Epidemic
Tobacco use is widely acknowledged as the single most important preventable cause of health problems worldwide. Despite this consensus, approximately 1.1 billion individuals smoke worldwide, and over 4 million people currently die of tobacco use each year (1). By 2030, the total number of smokers is expected to reach about 1.6 billion out of a global population of 8.5 billion, with approximately 10 million smokers dying annually. Current worldwide smoking patterns suggest that 500 million people alive today will eventually die of tobacco use (2). The problem is more serious in the developing world, where the number of smokers is expected to increase at the rate of 2% per year, outstripping global population growth. On the other hand, tobacco consumption is decreasing in the developed world at an average of 1% per year (3). Of the estimated 10 million annual tobacco-related deaths expected by 2030, 7 million are expected to occur in developing countries (4).
Since tobacco use is a global health problem, countries should cooperate to address the situation on an international level even as they tailor their tobacco control efforts to their own unique circumstances. To advance effective tobacco control policies, data concerning the health and economic consequences of the epidemic are required, as well as information on how these health sequelae and costs are distributed among individuals, households, communities, and society at large. Costs to society at large must be further distinguished from those of the public health-care system, as the proportion of costs borne by the latter varies from one country to another depending on political, economic, social, and cultural factors. Standardized economic evaluation methods are needed to help governments and researchers measure the real costs of tobacco use to their societies, thus paving the road to informed tobacco control policies.
Research for International Tobacco Control (RITC) produced this report in an attempt to lay the groundwork for future comparative and conclusive research in the field of tobacco-related economic evaluation, with a focus on developing countries. The aims of this report are as follows:
• To provide an overview of the role and methods of economic studies in tobacco control policy development, and to assess the advantages and disadvantages of each methodology;
• To provide an analysis of the most recent and important findings concerning the impact of tobacco use on individuals and health-care systems in various societies, particularly (as information permits) in developing countries;
• To provide an analysis of the findings and methodologies of studies examining the impact of tobacco use in specific population subgroups;
• To provide an analysis of economic assessments of interventions to reduce the demand for tobacco; and
• To set the stage for future economic research in the area of tobacco control policy by (a) identifying gaps in existing research and opportunities for effective future contributions; and (b) identifying the relevant information sources for analysis of the economic impact of tobacco use, and reflecting on the availability and utility of each.
