CONFERENCE PROCEEDING
Tobacco control and cessation as a
global agenda to build back equity and
sustainability from COVID-19
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Public Health Policy Evaluation Unit, Faculty of Medicine, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
Publication date: 2022-07-05
Tob. Prev. Cessation 2022;8(Supplement):A7
ABSTRACT
Tobacco intersects with the COVID-19 pandemic not only in
terms of health consequences but also in environmental change
and planetary health. Tobacco use exacerbates inequalities,
causes catastrophic environmental degradation and climate
change, and adds a burden to COVID-19-related mortality, which
are major challenges to recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, the pandemic has provided a chance to combat
tobacco use and accelerate efforts to alleviate these challenges
in response. The MPOWER measures introduced by the World
Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco
Control (WHO FCTC) can play a crucial role in COVID-19
recovery to fight tobacco use and contribute to sustainable and
equitable development. To accelerate recovery, it is critical to
call for actions for governments and policy-makers to strengthen
synergies and coordinate policy actions emphasizing tobacco
control and cessation across equity, public health, and climate
actions, as global authorities pledge to achieve the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) and net zero emissions targets as
part of the Climate Change Conference 2021 (COP26).