Tobacco users worldwide need more concrete and committed help to quit, say researchers in an article in Addiction, which informs that over half of the countries that signed the WHO 2005 Framework on Tobacco Control have not set up any formal plans to help people stop smoking.

The WHO FCTC (World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control) was developed as a treaty to address the global tobacco addiction epidemic that is responsible for 5 million deaths each year globally. The legally-binding treaty came into force 8 years ago (2005) and was eventually signed by 175 nations.

Countries that signed the FCTC were supposed to commit to developing plans to help their citizens who are tobacco users to quit – specifically, the treaty stipulates that plans must be based on scientifically-proven strategies.

According to two surveys of 121 nations, over half of all signatories have not yet developed any plans.

According to the two surveys, treatment guidelines are in place in..:

  • 44% of countries
  • 75% of the rich nations
  • 42% of middle-income countries
  • 30% of lower-middle-income countries
  • 11% of low-income countries
  • Only one-fifth of all countries had a budget dedicated to treating tobacco addiction

Professor Robert West, Editor-in-Chief of Addiction, wrote:

“Tobacco dependence treatment is a very inexpensive way of saving lives, much cheaper and more effective than many of the clinical services routinely provided by health systems worldwide. These reports map out for the first time the work that needs to be done to make this treatment accessible to those who could benefit from it. I hope they will be a spur to action.”

In the first survey, the authors concluded “Fewer than half of the Parties to the WHO FCTC have developed national tobacco treatment guidelines, but, where guidelines exist, they broadly follow FCTC Article 14 guideline recommendations.”

In the second survey, the authors concluded “Most countries, especially low- and middle-income countries, have not yet implemented the recommendations of FCTC Article 14 or the FCTC Article 14 guidelines.”

Regular walking helps teenagers quit smoking – teenagers who walk for 20 minutes a day may find it easier to give up smoking, researchers from the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services reported in the Journal of Adolescent Health (April 2013 issue).

Lead researcher Kimberly Horn, EdD, said “This study adds to evidence suggesting that exercise can help teenagers who are trying to quit smoking. Teens who boosted the number of days on which they engaged in at least 20 minutes of exercise, equivalent to a short walk, were more likely than their peers to resist lighting up a cigarette.”

Written by Christian Nordqvist