Assignment Task
Overview
Due to the significant burden of disease and high costs associated with tobacco use for healthcare, reducing tobacco use and nicotine addiction is a major public health focus area.
The burden of disease: Worldwide, tobacco is the leading preventable cause of death. It is assessed that tobacco-related infections represent more than 7 million passes universally every year, and it is liable for a huge weight of illnesses, including malignant growth, cardiovascular sickness, respiratory illnesses, and other medical problems. In Australia, tobacco use is a main source of preventable sickness and unexpected passing, representing roughly 21,000 deaths each year, which is identical to around 1 out of 8 deaths (Gov.au, 2021).
Healthcare cost: Additionally, tobacco use has a significant financial impact on the healthcare system. The direct healthcare costs associated with smoking, which include hospitalisation, medication, and other medical expenses, are estimated to exceed $31 billion annually in Australia (Gov.au, 2021). Also, the indirect expenses of tobacco use, for example, lost efficiency because of sickness and sudden passing, are assessed to be considerably higher.
Target population
Individuals of all ages who use cigarettes or are at risk of nicotine addiction are the target demographic for this emphasis area. This covers smokers as well as people who use alternative tobacco products such as smokeless tobacco and e-cigarettes, as well as those who may be exposed to passive smoke (Thurber, Banks and Joshy, 2021). Youth, Indigenous communities, low-income classes, and culturally and linguistically diverse communities, all of which have higher rates of tobacco use and face additional obstacles to quitting are also targeted.
Health promotion strategy
A secondary prevention strategy through health care settings is one relevant health promotion strategy that can be utilised in Australia to enhance health-related decision-making by promoting health literacy and community support for reducing tobacco use and nicotine addiction. Early detection and intervention for people who are already using tobacco or are at risk of becoming addicted to nicotine are the primary goals of this strategy.
The strategy involves health care providers like doctors, nurses, and pharmacists screening patients for tobacco use on a regular basis and offering patients who smoke or use tobacco brief interventions like counselling (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2020). To assist patients in quitting smoking or reducing their tobacco use, healthcare providers can also provide information and resources on smoking cessation, such as medications and support services. This approach can be coordinated into different medical services settings, including essential facilities, clinics, local area well-being focuses, and drug stores, to reach a large number of people.
Healthcare providers can educate patients about the risks of tobacco consumption, the advantages of quitting, and the resources available for quitting in this health promotion strategy. Support from the community is also an important part of this strategy for improving health (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2020). By drawing in health care providers and local area organisations, and advancing well-being proficiency among people, this technique can enable people to stop or lessen their tobacco use and eventually further develop general well-being results connected with tobacco use.
