Smoking is one of the leading preventable causes of disease and death worldwide. In the province of Holguín it constitutes an important health problem that reports an increase in the number of new smokers in early adolescence.
Such a situation alerts that avoiding and reducing tobacco consumption is not exclusively a matter of raising awareness from health promotion. This is a complex issue in which the influence of the social environment fundamentally influences the non-initiation of this addiction that is among the first factors of morbidity and mortality in this eastern Cuban region.
The risk of contracting diseases caused by smoking is directly related to the age of initiation of its consumption, for this reason coordinated and multifactorial preventive work is vital from early stages of life through school and family as elementary actors in the influence, education and physical, mental and social well-being of adolescents and young people, in whom the harmful effects of smoking have a significant impact.
In general, these age groups start smoking addiction through imitation, experiencing pleasure and being accepted in circles of friends, curiosity, rebellion, difficulties with self-control and handling problems in the family environment.
Smokers are three times more likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease than the rest of the population, but smoking is also a risk factor for the main chronic non-communicable diseases and an important cause of deaths from coronary heart disease and lung cancer.
According to statistics from the Ministry of Public Health, more than 20 percent of the Cuban population is an active smoker, despite the educational and health measures and legal norms implemented in order to regulate and discourage tobacco consumption.
Much remains to be done to achieve an attitude of rejection in the family, social and cultural environment, as well as a gradual change in the lifestyles of the population with healthy patterns and self-esteem and behavior modification that leads to non-initiation. , smoking cessation and smoke-free spaces.
Smoking harms man in multiple ways and has a significant economic impact on the health system with increased health costs, and also has a negative impact on the environment.
- Holguín recognizes contribution of women in society - 6 de March de 2024
- Women’s imprint on cigar manufacturing in Holguín - 16 de February de 2024
- Stable production of hand-rolled cigars in Holguin - 16 de February de 2024