Could the planet have something to learn or follow? Finland a European country of just above 5 million families is doing the unthinkable amongst smokers - total smoking ban country wide. The UN's Planet Health Organisation (WHO) does not mince its words when it comes to tobacco use. WHO has stated categorically that tobacco usage is irreconcilably against public health. Therefore there is no way tobacco should ever be tolerated from a public health perspective.
The dangers of smoking are well known. Partial smoking bans are not new and they have mostly been spurred by the nicely known effects of second hand smoking for the general public. Apart from health concerns smoking tobacco has been heavily criticised for the unbearable levels of what has become to be known as the cost of smoking. The cost of smoking is usually presented in monetary terms which will be cost to society as a result of tobacco smoking. One on the greatest cost could be the ballooning public health care bill which results in more taxpayer resources going towards health care.
Secondly, labour experts continue to loose sleep over the cost of tobacco related absenteeism at workplaces. Research has long concluded that smokers have a higher absenteeism rate than non-smokers. In total the hours lost to smoking related illnesses or inconveniences resulting in missed work attendances run into millions on men hours worth billions of dollars annually.
The cost of smoking further affects the environment as smokers cast used cigarette butts to the ground and trees are cut to make paper to wrap cigarettes. In the developing planet where most of the tobacco crop is now getting grown due to stringent rules in the west, more land is being cleared to cash in on the lucrative tobacco crop at the behest of big tobacco. This is usually a great cost to bear in poor communities who exchange their food crop farming land for tobacco.
Finland appears to be nicely aware of these off spin effects of tobacco. The depth of the tobacco plague is so deep and deadly than many folks will ever know or care to find out. The chain is extended the price to be paid very high. Finland plans to get rid of tobacco "once and for all" according to its policy makers and top government officials. Much of Europe has bans on tobacco usage but nothing comes near what Finland is mooting. It is unprecedented and bound to reap a windfall of benefits to the general public when implemented. In the rest of Europe partial bans exist prohibiting smoking in bars, restaurants, hotels and other indoor places.
The following is what the Finish government is getting ready to do;
* ban tobacco product display
* ban smoking in cars carrying smoking minors
* ban vending machines
Since 1976 Finland has been active in the smoking ban arena mostly jolted to action by the raising cardiovascular diseases related to smoking. This prompted cigarette bans and was followed by indoor smoking bans in public areas and workplaces about 1995 then followed by restaurants in 2007. As expected big tobacco never take these moves laying down. Philip Morris one amongst top three USA tobacco companies issued a complaint claiming that smoking was an individuals responsibility.
It is however disappointing that Finland actually held negotiations with the tobacco industry over this matter to take into consideration their concerns despite the fact that WHO has declared war on big tobacco because of its deceitful and dishonesty in working with governments and policy makers. In fact WHO advocates for governments to refuse the involvement from the tobacco industry in any work to do with tobacco policing and control.
The step Finland has taken altogether is plausible and is one step in the right direction towards totally eradicating tobacco usage off the face of the planet in the coming few decades.
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