Stopping Gen Zs from smoking could prevent 1.2M cancer deaths
A new study suggests that prohibiting the sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products to people born between 2006 and 2010 could potentially prevent up to 1.2 million lung cancer deaths globally over a span of seven decades. The research was conducted by Julia Rey Brandariz from the University of Santiago de Compostela in Spain, who stated that "lung cancer is a major killer worldwide, and a staggering two-thirds of deaths are linked to one preventable risk factor—tobacco smoking."
Study highlights potential benefits of tobacco-free generation
Brandariz's study, published in The Lancet Public Health, indicates that creating a mini tobacco-free generation could prevent 40% of the lung cancer deaths expected to occur in this group by 2095. The researchers chose individuals currently aged 13 to 18 for their analysis because the legal age for buying tobacco products is 18 in most countries included in the study. The study suggests that such a ban would have the most significant impact on Europe.
Tobacco ban's potential impact on low and middle-income countries
Isabelle Soerjomataram, another author of the study from the International Agency for Research on Cancer, highlighted that "while rates of smoking in high-income countries have fallen in recent years, lung cancer remains a leading cause of death and disease." She added that "in low- and middle-income countries, which have rapidly growing populations of young people, the impact of banning tobacco sales could be even greater."
Doubts over feasibility of proposed tobacco ban
However, Jennifer Stevens, director of the Northwell Health Center for Tobacco Control and not involved with the new research, expressed skepticism about the proposal's feasibility. She acknowledged that "there is no question that prevention and elimination of the sale of tobacco cigarettes would increase mortality and decrease healthcare costs globally." However, she noted that "for decades legislators have tried to go up against tobacco companies with some, but not full success."
Separate study links reduced smoking to increased life expectancy
A separate study published in The Lancet Public Health suggests that reducing smoking prevalence from current levels to 5% globally by 2050 could result in an extra year of life expectancy for men and 0.2 years for women. The authors estimate that if smoking had been completely eliminated last year, life expectancy could rise 1.5 more years for men and 0.4 years for women in 2050.
