Witold A. Zatoński
Zdrowie Publiczne i Zarządzanie, Tom 7, Numer 2, 2009, s. 58 - 77
Witold A. Zatoński
Zdrowie Publiczne i Zarządzanie, Tom 7, Numer 2, 2009, s. 20 - 28
Smoking prevalence in Poland at the background of European Union countries
Smoking prevalence in Europe is worth analyzing in order to observe exposure of population to tobacco smoke, what is informative and mportant from the public health point of view. Aim of the paper was to compare smoking prevalence between European Union countries, with the special attention to Poland. The analysis was conducted separately by age, sex and smoking categories. Results part contains systematic review of the 2002 data for Poland at the background of the rest of the EU countries. Presented analysis shows past and present state of tobacco epidemics in Poland and is a good indicator of tobacco-related health threats in Polish population. Discussion part contains between others methodological considerations on how to read the smoking prevalence analysis results to avoid producing misleading message.
Witold A. Zatoński
Zdrowie Publiczne i Zarządzanie, Tom 7, Numer 2, 2009, s. 4 - 11
Witold A. Zatoński
Zdrowie Publiczne i Zarządzanie, Tom 7, Numer 2, 2009, s. 86 - 90
Attitude of Poles toward enforcement of complete smoking ban in all public places
WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control recommends enforcement of strong smoke-free policy in public places and worksites. Many countries of European Union, cities and states of the Unites States of America, Canadian provinces and other countries worldwide have been effectively enforced comprehensive ban of smoking in public places and worksites. Follow up studies show health and social benefits of the smoke-free policy. However, its effective enforcement requires public support. This paper analyzes results of the 2006 nation-wide randomized survey on attitudes toward complete ban of smoking in public places and worksites in Poland. In Poland, public support for the enforcement of smoke-free legislation (76%), even very restrictive, belongs to the highest in European Union countries. Its effective enforcement is crucial for improvement of public health in Poland since over 8,700 deaths (including almost 2,000 deaths among non-smokers) in Poland are caused by passive exposure to tobacco smoke
Witold A. Zatoński
Zdrowie Publiczne i Zarządzanie, Tom 7, Numer 2, 2009, s. 36 - 43
Trends in daily cigarette smoking among women at childbearing age, Poland 1974–2004
This paper analyzes changes in daily smoking among Polish women at childbearing age (15–49). The analysis is based on nation-wide randomized surveys of adult Polish population (aged 15+) from 1974–2004. Study results show rapid increase of daily smoking rates in women at childbearing age from around 22% to 39% between 1974 and 1982. Since then, daily smoking has constantly decreased in this population (to around 30% in 2000–2004). The analysis also showed that in 1974 daily smoking rates in high educated women were much higher (20%) than in low educated women (13%). Today, the highest rates of daily smoking are observed in low educated women (32%) and the lowest in high educated women (21%). It was caused by biggest decline in daily smoking in higher educated women as compared with lower educated women. Above changes create new challenges in tobacco control and require new strategy in smoking prevention programs addressed to women population.
Witold A. Zatoński
Zdrowie Publiczne i Zarządzanie, Tom 7, Numer 2, 2009, s. 12 - 19
The content of tar in cigarettes sold in Poland in the years 1983–2000
Cigarette smoke contains over forty carcinogenic compounds, including tar that is evaluated as carcinogen A for human beings. The World Health Organization recommends reduction of carcinogenic and toxic substances in cigarettes as one of the elements in cancer control programs and tobacco control policies. In the beginning of 1990s, the Polish norm for tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide was first time enforced in Poland. This paper makes an attempt to collect available data on the content of tar in cigarettes sold in Polish market between 1983 and 2000, analyze time trends for average tar content in these cigarettes, compare Polish data with study results from Unites States, Finland and other Central and Eastern European countries, and evaluate whether tobacco product control measures that have been enforced at that time contributed to reduction of tar in cigarettes sold in Poland and what was its potential impact on time trends in lung cancer mortality in the last decades.