WHO and its push for a smoke-free world

It should be a fairly quiet week in Washington, D.C., on the healthcare front as everyone recovers from a long weekend of parades, pool openings and backyard barbecues. But that doesn’t mean nothing is happening.

MAY 30: Our requisite opioid item—the House Border and Maritime Security Subcommittee holds a field hearing in Phoenix titled “An unsecure border and the opioid crisis: The urgent need for action to save lives.” The hearing will look at law enforcement and non-law enforcement “solutions that will ultimately save lives,” per the Homeland Security Committee’s website.

MAY 31: It’s World No Tobacco Day. The World Health Organization is using the occasion globally to talk about the link between tobacco and heart disease. Among other things, the WHO campaign will highlight:

• The link between tobacco and heart and other cardiovascular diseases, including stroke

• Actions that governments and the public can take to reduce the risks that tobacco poses to heart health

According to the WHO, tobacco kills more than 7 million people annually; 890,000 of those deaths are attributable to second-hand smoke.

Ultimately, according to a graphic on the WHO site, the goal is to “make everyday World No Tobacco Day.”

Attention is mostly directed toward cigarettes, but U.S. regulators are also eyeing other forms of tobacco. The Food and Drug Administration is accepting comments on a proposed rule that could tighten oversight of so-called premium cigars. Included in the agency’s notice of proposed rulemaking issued in March: What public health considerations should be taken into account around premium cigars?