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Results: Across the five Pacific Island territories, the leading causes of mortality among all ages include unintentional injuries, including motor-vehicle crashes; cancer; cardiovascular diseases; stroke; and diabetes. Results from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) indicated that high school students in the Pacific Island territories engaged in behaviors that increased their risk for mortality or morbidity from these causes. . . .
Tobacco Use
Lifetime Cigarette Use
Across surveys, the overall percentage of students who had ever tried cigarette smoking (even one or two puffs) (i.e., lifetime cigarette use) ranged from 56.8% to 78.1% (median: 69.7%). Prevalence among female students ranged from 53.1% to 78.7% (median: 67.6%), and prevalence among male students ranged from 57.1% to 77.6% (median: 71.6%) (Table 13).
Lifetime Daily Cigarette Use
Across surveys, the overall percentage of students who had ever smoked at least one cigarette every day for 30 days (i.e., lifetime daily cigarette use) ranged from 13.6% to 17.6% (median: 16.6%). Prevalence among female students ranged from 12.6% to 16.2% (median: 13.1%), and prevalence among male students ranged from 14.2% to 22.3% (median: 17.8%) (Table 13).
Current Cigarette Use
Across surveys, the overall percentage of students who had smoked cigarettes on at least 1 day during the 30 days before the survey (i.e., current cigarette use) ranged from 23.1% to 37.6% (median: 31.1%). Prevalence among female students ranged from 20.4% to 31.1% (median: 25.4%), and prevalence among male students ranged from 22.9% to 44.4% (median: 31.2%) (Table 14).
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The Samoa News Editor notes that second-hand smoking is an invasion of our individual rights when permission is not asked or given, and I couldn't agree more. However, on private property where the owner allows smoking, permission is implied. If you don't agree with the owner's decision, you can always leave.
The free market regulates the risks of second-hand smoking by putting individuals in charge and making them responsible for their own lives.
But let's take a look at a path the Fono wants to take us by banning smoking through the force of law.
We would have the Fono tell us how and where to establish designated smoking areas. If businesses or individuals violate the law, fellow citizens may report violations to the authorities. Alleged violators then would be imposed with a fine, or they may have to challenge such allegations through the courts.
What we would have in the scenario above are situations that pit neighbor against neighbor, challenging one's trust in his fellow man. It would give rise to needless suspicion and animosity. It would also cost us money imposing fines, and expending government resources with police to enforce this ban.
The real crime here is how this ban would divert our government's attention from protecting the public from real criminals to suppressing second-hand smoking on private property.
Health officials in American Samoa are pleased that the Fono has approved legislation that would ban smoking in certain public places. But it is unclear if Gov. Togiola Tulafono will sign the measure into law.
"This is an important health issue and the Department of Health (DOH) is pleased with the final action by the Legislature," DOH medical director Dr. Ivan Tuliau told Pacific Magazine.
Legislation approved in the last Fono session in American Samoa to prohibit smoking in certain private and public places has been vetoed by the governor.
Togiola Tulafono says what concerns him most about the bill is the possibility a person could be jailed for up to six months for violating it.
LBJ hospital and Health Department officials in American Samoa have given their support to a House bill that would ban smoking in public places, and have urged House members to expedite its approval.
The bill would permit the owner of a public place (such as a restaurant, sports arena, or theater) to designate a smoking area on the premises but prohibits smoking on buses and in taxis, and in public areas of retail stores and lobbies of financial institutions.
LBJ physician, Tofaeono Dr. Victor Williams, has told lawmakers that smoking is one of the most preventable causes of disease in the U.S. and the world.
世卫总干事陈冯富珍同纽约市长彭博近日联合召开记者会发表报告，公布了世界卫生组织的最新警告，如果各国政府和社会不加强对烟草销售的控制，本世纪内全球可能有10亿人因烟害而死亡。
The tobacco death burden in developed and Eastern European countries is equivalent to the impact of a 9/11-type terrorist attack every 14 hours, according to a newly published study by University of Otago public health researchers.
Estimated annual deaths from tobacco were approximately 5,700 times greater than those from international terrorist attacks, according to public health researchers Dr George Thomson and Dr Nick Wilson of the University’s Wellington School of Medicine and Health Sciences.
The researchers compared the estimated 1.9 million people in developed and Eastern European countries who died from tobacco in the year 2000, with the 3298 lives lost in international terrorist attacks in these same countries between 1994 and 2003.
“We found that the absolute annual burden from tobacco use was highest for the United States at 514,000 deaths per year in 2000, which is equivalent to the impact of an 9/11 type terrorist attack every 2.1 days,” says Dr Thomson.
The study, which is published in the international journal Globalization and Health, is part of wider attempt by the researchers to put international terrorism into a public health context, by comparing its mortality burden with those of other preventable causes of premature death.
“In the last 20 or more years governments have spent considerable sums in attempts to combat international terrorism, as well as introducing new laws,” he says. “However, despite tobacco mortality’s far greater scale, the policy response by government on tobacco has been much weaker.”
We found that the absolute annual burden from tobacco use was highest for the United States at 514,000 deaths per year in 2000, which is equivalent to the impact of an 9/11 type terrorist attack every 2.1 daysDr George Thomson of the University of Otago's Wellington School of Medicine and Health Sciences, in a study published in the international journal Globalization and Health.
In the last 20 or more years governments have spent considerable sums in attempts to combat international terrorism, as well as introducing new laws. However, despite tobacco mortality’s far greater scale, the policy response by government on tobacco has been much weaker.Dr George Thomson of the University of Otago's Wellington School of Medicine and Health Sciences, in a study published in the international journal Globalization and Health.
The Rockdale County Board of Commissioners (BOC) may put a hold on enacting the recently approved no-smoking ordinance after a group of restaurant owners told them Friday that the law could run them out of business.
About 20 people, mostly restaurant owners, spoke during the BOC work session and told the commissioners the no-smoking ordinance could cut their business by 30-40 percent by driving smoking patrons to Newton County, where there is no ordinance against smoking in public places. The group framed its argument as a freedom of choice issue and asked the BOC to amend the ordinance.
One recommendation offered was to exempt restaurants from the law if 60 percent of revenue came from food and they meet clean air standards through the use and maintenance of air filtration systems. Another suggestion was posting notices outside of restaurants warning the public that tobacco products are used inside. . . .
"I'm a non-smoker, but I made my business decision to open as a smoke-free restaurant because of all of this data the hospital and Smoke-Free Rockdale provided," Jones said. "‘People want this, Bill, they're dying for it.' Well, I almost went under giving them what they were dying for."
A bill to ban smoking in American Samoa's government buildings, restaurants and public transport has been approved in the lower house of parliament.
The bill now goes to the senate for review before being sent to the governor for a final decision.
Representative Otomalesau John Ah Sue has vowed to continue his fight to curb smoking at schools, after the territory's Senate this week rejected a House of Representatives bill that would have implemented a ban. Ah Sue, who sponsored the bill in the House, said he will reintroduce the student-initiated proposal, which was rejected by nine votes to seven in the Senate. He said students had approached legislators in a bid to end smoking by both students and teachers, fearing the health effects of direct and passive smoke. This followed reports that both teachers and students have been allowed to smoke in classrooms throughout American Samoa. Otomalesau said the Senate's rejection of the bill is irresponsible, and is a response to an earlier rejection of an unrelated bill in the House of Representatives. [This graph only]
A member of parliament in American Samoa has vowed to continue his fight to curb smoking, after the Senate this week rejected a bill which would have banned cigarettes in schools.
Otomalesau John Ah Sue, who sponsored the bill in the House of Representatives, says he will reintroduce the student-initiated proposal, which was rejected by nine votes to seven in the Senate.
Students had approached legislators in a bid to end smoking by both students and teachers in primary and high schools, fearing the health effects of direct and passive smoking.
This follows reports suggesting both teachers and students have been allowed to smoke in classrooms throughout American Samoa.
Otomalesau says the Senate's rejection of the bill is irresponsible, and is a response to an earlier rejection of an unrelated bill in the House of Representatives.
He says he is confident strong public support for the bill will force Senators to change their mind.
The Governor has asked the Fono to pass legislation that brings American Samoa into full compliance with the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement.
The multi-billion dollar MSA was reached between attorneys general of 46 states and territories and tobacco companies in 1998.
Under the agreement each state and territory receives a certain amount of money every year. States and territories that participated in the MSA must also pass legislation that forces other tobacco companies not participating in the MSA to deposit money into a separate escrow account.