While Singapore has made strides in its campaign against tobacco, more can be done to shift the needle particularly among the youths.
Smoking prevalence among Singaporeans aged 18 to 29 increased from 12 per cent in 2004 to 16 per cent in 2010. A study by Senior Research Fellow Yvette van der Eijk and Assistant Professor Lee Jeong Kyu shows that it might have to do with the misperception associated with menthol tobacco products – that they were ‘healthier’ than regular cigarettes.
In addition to damaging health like regular cigarettes, menthol cigarettes are in fact more harmful because they are more addictive. The menthol reacts with the nicotine to make it more addictive and the mint flavour masks the harshness of the tobacco smoke.
Drs Yvette and Lee believe that a ban on menthol tobacco products is the next critical step towards preventing smoking in Singapore’ younger generation.
“It is difficult for young people to simply ‘say no’ to using tobacco because tobacco companies invest substantial resources into making sure that tobacco is as appealing as possible to them,” said Dr Yvette.
“So we should not expect teens to simply ‘say no’ to menthol tobacco. It is important to also help them, by creating an environment in which menthol tobacco products are regulated,” she added.
She added that young people who are trying to quit should have access to support such as counselling and nicotine patches, and friends and family should support them in their quit attempt. Stress is major trigger for relapse, so it is important to find better ways to manage stress too.
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