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THE BURDEN OF SMOKING IN SOUTH AFRICAN GOLD MINE WORKERS

THE BURDEN OF SMOKING IN SOUTH AFRICAN GOLD MINE WORKERS. Presented by Dr Vanessa Govender Occupational Medical Practitioner To Parliamentary Health Portfolio Committee 23 January 2007. Contents. Introduction South Africa Health effects Employer Gold mines

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THE BURDEN OF SMOKING IN SOUTH AFRICAN GOLD MINE WORKERS

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  1. THE BURDEN OF SMOKING IN SOUTH AFRICAN GOLD MINE WORKERS Presented by Dr Vanessa Govender Occupational Medical Practitioner To Parliamentary Health Portfolio Committee 23 January 2007

  2. Contents • Introduction • South Africa • Health effects • Employer • Gold mines – Occupational lung diseases - HIV/AIDS - Smoking policy • Role of HCWs • Conclusion

  3. Introduction Cigarette smoking is the most prevalent modifiable risk factor for increased morbidity and mortality in the world (WHO) WHO “global public health emergency”

  4. SMOKING IN SOUTH AFRICA • Progressive legislation • Tobacco Products Control Act, Act 83 of 1993 (32.6%) • Tobacco Products Control Amendment Act, Act 12 of 1999 (28.5%) (van Walbeek 2002) Prevalence = 22%

  5. SMOKING IN SOUTH AFRICA Tobacco Products Control Amendment Bill 2006 • Increased penalties for employers failing to protect employees from tobacco smoke • New offences such as prohibiting health institutions from sale of tobacco • To prevent young people from starting • Help smokers quit

  6. NORMAL LUNG SMOKER’S LUNG

  7. SMOKER’S BODY

  8. BURDEN OF SMOKING ON EMPLOYERS Smokers: • have more hospital admissions • take longer to recover from illness • have higher out patient health care costs (Osinubi 2002)) Absenteeism is 50% higher amongst smokers (US dept of health,education, welfare 1979)

  9. BURDEN OF SMOKING ON EMPLOYERS • Current smokers miss more days at work, more unproductive time at work than former smokers or non-smokers • (Bunn et al. 2006)

  10. BURDEN OF SMOKING ON EMPLOYERS • Average 3 smoking breaks • Borrow, buy, beg,light up,puff • Lasting 13 minutes each • = 39 minutes lost productivity per day (Wendland-Boyer 2000) • 18 LOST DAYS PER YEAR! ($1.7 billion pa)

  11. SMOKING IN SOUTH AFRICAN MINES Smoking is higher among people employed in labour intensiveindustries than among those in professional and people orientated industries (van Walbeek 2002)

  12. SMOKING IN SOUTH AFRICAN MINES MHSC project: • Overall decrease in smoking trends 1998 – 2002 • White mine workers of all ages tend to smoke more heavily than black mine workers • 4% whites, 5% blacks took up smoking after employment • Overall prevalence 44% (Cheyip 2004) Unpublished prevalence = 60%

  13. OCCUPATIONAL LUNG DISEASES • Silicosis, COAD, TB, lung cancer are compensable diseases • Attributable to high levels of free crystalline silica dust (ODMWA 1973) • Employer take measures to assess the risk and control it (MHSA 1996) • Medical surveillance examinations – on employment, during employment and on termination

  14. OCCUPATIONAL LUNG DISEASES • Gold mines are committed to dust control • Global elimination of silicosis programme (WHO) • National elimination of silicosis programme • MHSC - milestones • Dust control alone may be inadequate to control OLD

  15. OCCUPATIONAL LUNG DISEASES • TB • COAD • Silicosis • Lung cancer SILICA DUST SMOKING

  16. OCCUPATIONAL LUNG DISEASES • In SA: Smoking significantly increases the risk for deaths from tuberculosis, chronic obstructive airways disease and lung cancer • (Sitas et al. 2004)

  17. TB SILICA DUST HIV SMOKING

  18. 1. TUBERCULOSIS • Silica dust lifelong risk for development of TB, even in absence of silicosis • Risk increases with increasing severity of radiological silicosis • And with cumulative dust exposure • Persists long after exposure has stopped • (Hnizdo, Murray 1998) Established silicosis, risk for TB increases up to three-fold(Churchyard 2001)

  19. 1. TUBERCULOSIS • Incidence rate 41 new cases / 1 000 employees per annum • TB accounts for large majority of occupational diseases

  20. 1.TUBERCULOSIS (TB) • In addition to silica dust, smoking, is an independent, added risk factor for TB • (Hnizdo, Murray 1998)

  21. 1. TUBERCULOSIS • Smoking increases risk of • Acquiring TB • Severity of TB(Altet-Gomez et al. 2005) • Progression from latent to active TB • Progression to disability • Progression to death (Doll, Hill 1954) In SA:20% of TB deaths due to smoking (Sitas et al. 1998)

  22. 1. TUBERCULOSIS • WHERE THERE’S SMOKE • (and silica dust and HIV) • THERE’S TB • (NCAS Press release World TB day 24/3/06) Smoking is BAD for TB!

  23. 2. CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE AIRWAYS DISEASE • COAD • Emphysema • Chronic bronchitis SILICA DUST SMOKING TB

  24. 2. COAD • Smoking is a greater risk factor for serious disability from COAD than silica dust alone (Hnizdo 1992)

  25. 2. COAD Other, 10% Combination dust Dust, 8% and smoking, 40% Smoking, 42% Figure 1: Attributable fractions for severe airflow limitation (Hnizdo 1992)

  26. 2. COAD Elimination of silica dust 48% Elimination of smoking 82% Estimated preventable fraction (Hnizdo 1992)

  27. 3. SILICOSIS • Suggestive association between silicosis and smoking (Hessel 2003)

  28. 4. LUNG CANCER • Silica dust, radon and diesel particulate matter can cause lung cancer • Smoking increases this risk (Hnizdo,Murray1998)

  29. Control of silica dust related diseases requires control of BOTH dust AND smoking

  30. SMOKING AND HIV/AIDS • 70 – 80% of HIV infected people smoke (Patel et al. 2005) • Smoking may be associated with increased risk for acquiring HIV infection (Furber 2006) • Smoking was not associated with increased risk of progression to AIDS (probably due to HAART -more research required)

  31. SMOKING AND HIV/AIDS Patients on HAART • Tobacco smoking independent risk factor for non-AIDS related mortality (true for non-HAART as well) • Protease inhibitors side-effect dyslipidaemia (high cholesterol) • Risk for cardiovascular disease (Patel et al. 2005)

  32. SMOKING AND HIV/AIDS Added health risks in HIV positive smoking patients • HIV associated respiratory infections • Accelerated lung damage • HIV associated oropharyngeal lesions • AIDS-defining and non AIDS-defining malignancies • Cardiovascular disease (on HAART) (Patel et al. 2005)

  33. SMOKING AND HIV/AIDS Tuberculosis is a leading cause worldwide of morbidity and mortality among HIV-infected people

  34. Do you know your ABCs? A = abstain B = be faithful C = condomise D = don’t smoke! (NCAS press release, World Aids Day 2006)

  35. PUBLIC HEALTH BURDEN SMOKING HIV TB SILICA DUST

  36. SMOKING IN SOUTH AFRICAN MINES SMOKING IS PROHIBITED UNDERGROUND

  37. SMOKING IN SOUTH AFRICAN MINES • “Smoking in the workplace policy” – strategic focus on employee well-being and health promotion • Objectives: • To provide a healthy working environment • To minimise harm due to secondary smoke • To educate smokers about the harmful effects of smoking • To provide advice, guidance and support to employees who wish to stop • Identify high risk groups

  38. SMOKING INTERVENTION PROGRAM Critical success factors for workplace policy • Enabling environment- partnerships, stakeholder involvement, support NCAS, MHSC,WHO • Evidence base • Political will • Tougher legislation

  39. National Council Against Smoking (NCAS) • Professional and expert advice • Information pamphlets, self-help material • Posters health information • National quit line 011 – 720 3145

  40. Mine Health and Safety Council • Elimination of silicosis programme • Milestones • Holistic approach to occupational diseases • Identified research on smoking in the mines

  41. ROLE OF HEALTH CARE WORKERS Research Question What are health care workers’ knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding prevention of smoking amongst gold mine workers … are there opportunities for implementing smoking interventions???

  42. ROLE OF HEALTH CARE WORKERS WHO initiatives: • 2005 - World No Tobacco Day “Health Professionals against Tobacco” • 2004 - Code of Practice on Tobacco Control for Health Professional Organisations – smoking history, brief advice and documentation as part of routine care

  43. ROLE OF HEALTH CARE WORKERS • Russell 1979: simple but firm advice from a general practitioner (GP) can result in 5% of smokers stopping • Raw, McNeil, West 1999: 50% of smokers will stop after GPs advice, using established protocols and medication, savings of $700,00 per life year gained

  44. ROLE OF HEALTH CARE WORKERS • HCWs have a moral, ethical and professional obligation to assist people to stop smoking and prevent people from starting • Popularly revered in the workplace and community • Occupational and primary health care services on-site, accessible, high utilisation rate

  45. Conclusion WHO Tobacco Free Initiative 1999: There are only two causes of death that are large and growing worldwide TOBACCO HIV

  46. Conclusion PREVENTION…….. is better than CURE…….

  47. Conclusion “… the mining industry will do well to remember that mining is not just about rocks and rubble, but about people.” Minister of Minerals and Energy, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Sheq Conference 2004

  48. Conclusion At Gold Fields, we pride ourselves in enhancing workers’ health, and with the support of tougher legislation like the proposed Tobacco Bill, we can achieve leaps of excellence in occupational health and safety, not only at our operations but industry-wide in South Africa

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