THE NURSING PERSPECTIVE
Jamie Crawford
In Poland, smoking was more than just lighting a tobacco product and consuming it; smoking was cultural normality amongst its vast population. Many of the citizens of Poland started smoking and therefore continued due to political propaganda and lack of knowledge. The government produced mass amounts of revenue from tobacco manufacturing and utilization that never fully disclosed the long-term health conditions that would arise with continued tobacco use. The change of culture happened in Poland regarding the tobacco industry with the end of communism and when the evidence was placed in front of the citizens and data that had shown the horrible effects both short and long term that happens to those who are smokers. “Tobacco is the second deadliest threat to adult health in the world and causes 1 in every 10 adult deaths.” (Center for Global Development). After the data and information were provided to the citizens of Poland, health became a priority, and the number of those smoking began to decline. “In November 1995, the Polish parliament passed the “Law for the Protection of Public Health Against the Effects of Tobacco Use” with a huge majority of 90 percent of the votes.” (Center for Global Development). This law banned smoking in most public places, set age requirements on the purchasing of tobacco products, and required the printing of health warnings on each tobacco product sold. This allowed people to become more educated and aware of the dangers of smoking. The changes this made for the citizens of Poland not only increase the longevity of life but also helped to show that what may be a social and political norm may not always be in the best interest of human life.
In today’s societies, we live in a world with many different ethnicities and cultural beliefs; that we must be open-minded to everyone’s differences and view these in a positive light rather than a negative one. What I have become accustomed to in my culture may not be what you are accustomed to. Many cultural differences pertaining to health and medicine and within these choices and beliefs it can directly impact the positive or negative views of a culture as a whole unit. I have come to realize that personally, if I continue to educate myself on the many different cultures, my own bias begin to lighten, and I begin to see the joy in why our planet is so diverse. Change and being able to open up to the fact that there are so many cultures out there is so very important. Cultural knowledge is vital in being a great healthcare professional it allows you to break down fears and provide the best care possible to those who are in their most vulnerable state.
Center for Global Development. (n.d.). Case 14: Curbing tobacco use in Poland Download Case 14: Curbing tobacco use in Poland. https://www.cgdev.org/sites/default/files/archive/doc/millions/MS_case_14.pdfLinks to an external site.
Jassem, J., Przewozniak, K., & Zatonski, W. (2014). Tobacco control in Poland: Successes and challengesLinks to an external site.Links to an external site. . Translational Lung Cancer Research, 3(5), 280–285. http://doi.org/10.3978/j.issn.2218-6751.2014.09.12Links to an external site.Links to an external site.