Tobacco Asia

28 tobaccoasia Issue 6, 2022 November / December tend to cite chronic obstructive pulmonary disease as a common tobacco induced condition without qualifications. Also, lung cancer is normally as- sumed to be the most common cancer caused by tobacco use. While this is true for countries where smoking is the prevalent form of tobacco use, in Southeast Asian countries, oral cancer is the most common tobacco-related cancer, largely due to the fact that smokeless tobacco is the prevalent form of tobacco used in this region. In their report, Siddiqi et al concluded that tobacco control in SEAR countries is complicated because of the many ways tobacco is produced, promoted, and sold. The distinct demographic, historical, and sociocultural context of SEAR countries shapes tobacco products' use and expo- sure patterns. As such, this particular situation re- quires contextualized solutions from WHO FCTC as well as outside-the-box solutions to be devised and implemented. While this conclusion is based on SEAR countries, this conceptual principle could and should be applied to other countries as well, par- ticularly countries in the low- and middle-income bracket. Myopic, one-size-fits-all prescriptions and actions cannot be the answer. Government tech- nocrats should learn that obsequiously following FCTC prescriptions like gospel more often than not leads them astray, forces them to abandon their unrealistic targets, and results in unintended consequences galore. But then again, one should never underes- timate the capacity of activist do-gooders to mess things up in the name of our collective health and wellbeing. What holds true in high-income countries may not necessarily apply to low- to medium- income countries when it comes to tobacco use. Thus, a one-size-fits-all approach to tobacco control should not be adopted. Photo credit: freepik

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