Scimex: Yes - but only if we include collaborative knowledge from other
disciplines and not just behavioural science, is US global health expert
Thomas Novotny's answer. In an editorial, he argues for new global
efforts involving a broad range of experts – from economists and policy
advisors, to health researchers – in order to progress tobacco control
and reduce tobacco-related diseases around the world.
New global efforts involving economists, political scientists,
environmentalists and legal experts, in addition to governments and
health researchers, are needed to end the burden of tobacco-related
disease, according to Thomas Novotny, from San Diego State University,
US, in an Editorial published in this week's PLOS Medicine.
Sunday
31st May is World No Tobacco Day 2015. In his editorial Prof. Novotny
considers the progress that has been made globally in tobacco control
and new strategies that are necessary to greatly reduce the global
tobacco-related disease burden, which kills about 6 million people every
year.
In his Editorial Prof. Novotny highlights new innovative
approaches in tobacco control including, the introduction of plain
packaging for cigarettes; scrutiny of trade agreements; regulation by
the US Food and Drug Administration of tobacco products, their labeling,
and the market entry of new or altered tobacco products; and
cross-disciplinary work involving infectious disease, maternal and child
health, and environmental fields.
Prof. Novotny notes, "[i]t is
clear to tobacco control advocates that behavioral science is not enough
to eliminate tobacco use; today's tobacco control army needs to include
economists, political scientists, toxicologists, trade experts, and
environmentalists to fully respond to changing industry tactics. The
industry is very good at its job, and thus, the tobacco control
community needs to be even better at its job."
Prof. Novotny
concludes, "[t]oday, tobacco-related diseases are a global pandemic,
increasingly affecting poor countries where unfinished agendas in
infectious diseases continue to wreak havoc. The United Nation's 2015
Millennium Development Goals did not address tobacco use or the growing
epidemics of noncommunicable diseases... Therefore, new global efforts
are now needed in the post-2015 global health agenda to reduce the
burden of these diseases, starting with those caused by tobacco. Tobacco
control and the FCTC [Framework Convention on Tobacco Control] must be
integrated into the proposed UN Sustainable Development Goals... thereby
mobilizing governments, scientists, and citizens to target the end of
the tobacco epidemic."