PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, (CMC) – The Trinidad-based Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) on Wednesday said tobacco use remains a major public health concern in the Caribbean region, warning also that there is no safe level of exposure to tobacco smoke.

“The use of tobacco products in any form harms nearly every organ of the body, irrespective of whether it is smoked, smokeless, or electronic. Of all the forms of tobacco use, the most common in the Caribbean region is cigarette smoking,” said CARPHA’s executive director, Dr John St John.

“Smokeless does not mean harmless. Nicotine in e-cigarettes is a highly addictive drug and can damage children’s developing brains. Children and adolescents who use e-cigarettes at least double their chance of smoking cigarettes later in life.

“Preventing tobacco product use among youth is therefore critical. It is important that we educate children and adolescents about the harms of nicotine and tobacco product use. We must work to prevent future generations from seeing such products as “normal,” she added.

CARPHA said cigarette smoking is the number one risk factor for lung cancer. Using other tobacco products such as cigars or pipes also increases the risk of this disease.

In a message on World No Tobacco Day, observed on May 31, it said second-hand smoke exposure causes stroke, lung cancer, and coronary heart disease in adults; and acute respiratory infections and severe asthma in children.

“It is a preventable risk factor for non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which are the leading cause of death, disease and disability among Caribbean people.”

Cardiovascular diseases (30.8 per cent) and cancer (17.2 per cent) are the leading causes of death due to NCD in the region, both linked to tobacco use.