Feeny, E., Dani, K., Varghese, C., Atiim, G. A., Rekve, D., & Gouda, H. N. (2021). Protecting women and girls from tobacco and alcohol promotion. Women’s Health and Gender Inequalities, 1-4. 10.1136/bmj.n1516 1
Following the trend that sees a change in gender norms, an aggressive industry marketing, and continuing population growth in low-and-middle income countries, what happens is that the number of women and girls consuming tobacco and alcohol is likely to rise substantially in the coming years.
The consequence it brings is a rise in the burden of chronic or non-communicable diseases and injuries, for public health, service delivery, and sustainable development.
Key messages
- Women and girls in low-and-middle income countries are exposed to aggressive marketing tactics by tobacco and alcohol industries, which exploit gender inequalities and associate their products with women’s empowerment
- A rise in the consumption of alcohol and tobacco among women and girls will lead to an increase in non-communicable diseases globally, both in the short term and among generations to come
- A rise in non-communicable diseases has important implications for public health and the achievement of global development goals
- Governments and other stakeholders should tackle gender and other inequalities while improving health to protect women and girls in low-and-middle income countries from tobacco and alcohol promotion.
Read the full article: https://www.bmj.com/content/bmj/374/bmj.n1516.full.pdf.