Smoking control at the School of Public Health, Universidade de São Paulo

Abstract

SUMMARY Introduction: schools of Public Health, by their nature, have increased responsibility in the development of health promotion programs, focusing on tobacco control. The participation of groups of health professionals in educational actions helps to convey information about smoking to the population. Objective: to evaluate the prevalence of smoking and the effectiveness of control programs among the teaching and non-teaching staff of the School of Public Health of the Universidade de São Paulo (FSP-USP). They were monitored by surveys conducted from 1980 to 2013. Methods: application of a questionnaire, containing the variables: identity, gender, smoking habit (are you a smoker, former smoker or non-smoker), which was answered in a private interview. Data analysis was done using absolute and relative frequencies. Results: the prevalence of smokers had a reduction from 50.3%, in 1980, to 13.4%, in 2013; among males, prevalence fell from 56.9% to 12.8%, and among females from 45.9% to 13.7%. As for the teaching staff, there was a fall from 10.2% (2006) to 5.9% (2013); the decrease among non-teaching employees was from 21.6% to 16.3%. Conclusion: knowledge by health professionals of the harms caused by tobacco smoking contributed to their participation in anti-smoking programs, and led to a decline in the number of smokers at FSP-USP. The creation of 100% tobacco-free environments and programs to treat smokers who want to cease their addiction should be encouraged.

Smoking prevalence and attributable disease burden in 195 countries and territories, 1990–2015: a systematic analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015

“…Policies were comprehensive and were supplemented with fiscal interventions that included raising taxes and establishing minimum prices for tobacco products. Finally, Brazil has achieved high levels of compliance through enforcement 20, 59, 60, 61, 62…”

A Cross-Sectional Evaluation of Cigarette Smoking in the Brazilian Youth Population

“…Smoking cigarettes constitutes a behavior that can start in adolescence and persist throughout life, leading to many social, physical, and economic consequences ( 52 ). Accordingly, global measures, including monitoring tobacco use; implementing prevention policies, such as public health interventions, individual and group counseling, behavioral support, and pharmacotherapy ( 53 ); protecting people from secondhand smoke; providing assistance and instruments to quit tobacco use; enforcing bans on tobacco advertising; promoting and sponsoring tobacco cessation campaigns; and raising taxes on cigarettes ( 4 , 10 , 54 ) have been deployed to promote cigarette smoking cessation. In Brazil, there are a large number of preventive campaigns focused on the risks of smoking and laws limiting the use of tobacco in public places and prohibiting access to and the consumption of tobacco products by those under the age of 18, although these restrictions are not respected or enforced by all merchants ( 13 ), as evidenced by a survey of 748 adolescents in Brazil, among whom 80.3% of those who smoked reported having easy access to cigarettes ( 20 ).…”

“…Cigarette smoking, which is the most common form of tobacco use (1), has negative impacts on health worldwide due to its association with chronic non-communicable diseases and cancer (2)(3)(4)(5). It is estimated that 1.3 billion people are active smokers worldwide (6).…”

“…Every year, five million deaths due to smoking-related diseases occur in low- and middle-income countries ( 7 ). In Brazil, it is estimated that 24 million people smoke and that 16.9% of the population has used tobacco at least once in their lives ( 4 , 8 ). In the last 10 years, the prevalence of smoking has decreased in all groups in Brazil except among individuals aged 18–24 years ( 9 , 10 ).…”

Programas de promoção da saúde no ensino superior: uma revisão de escopo

“…As evidências que retratam a implementação de políticas públicas saudáveis e a reorientação de serviços de saúde, tendo como resultado as transformações profundas na organização e financiamentos dos sistemas e serviços de saúde, foram os pilares menos referidos11, [19][20][21]25,28,29,[31][32][33]36,40,41. Apesar da escassez de referência acerca dos financiamentos e custos dos programas, alguns estudos apontaram que os benefícios oriundos das intervenções superam eventuais custos associados à sua implantação53-55.…”