‘Pass Tobacco Law Now’

A women's group at the World No Tobacco Day durbar

AS GHANA marks 'World No Tobacco Day' in the Upper East region, parents have called on government to do all it can to ensure that the Tobacco Bill which has been drafted in line with all agreed conventions since 2005 is passed into law without further delay.

During separate interactions, they told HEALTH MATTERS a tobacco law will definitely make smoking in public places unlawful hence children and the youth would no longer be tempted to keep up that lifestyle.

They said indiscriminate smoking in public by adults, including people of good standing in society influenced their children to smoke at any given opportunity.

Almost all speakers at the 'World No Tobacco Day' durbar held in Bolgatanga advised tobacco users in the region and the entire country to seek assistance to quit the habit to avoid the destruction of their organs.

Vice-President of the Coalition of NGOs in Tobacco Control, Oscar Bruce, in a brief statement at the durbar, predicted that if the current world tobacco smoking trends continue over the next 20 years, an estimated 29,000 people will be killed by its side effects. Out of this number, 70 percent will be from developing countries that will include Ghana.

Statistics from the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control reveals that tobacco usage currently kills more than 14,000 each day across the world.  Mr. Bruce called for the establishment of a multi-sector nationwide coordinating mechanism empowered by government to coordinate implementation of the Convention on Tobacco Control in the country. He said if this is done within the shortest possible time, it will help to control tobacco use in Ghana.

'If we intend to win the fight against tobacco usage in this country, the current government and successive ones must exhibit a higher level of responsibility and commitment to the fight and create a fund that will receive the right amount of money at the right time for implementation of activities lined up to combat tobacco usage. I however advise that efforts must be made to ensure that monies from this fund are not embezzled at will,' he advised.

The Minister of Health, Joseph Yileh Chireh in a speech read on his behalf, said government was committed to the fight against tobacco usage especially by the youth and children and will do all it can to ensure the trend is reduced.

He said to further intensify the National Tobacco Control drive, a website called www.smokefreeghana.com http://www.smokefreeghana.com/ has been created to provide more information to Ghanaians on the effects of smoking. It will also contain more information and pictures to educate the youth and children on the need stay away from tobacco and friends who persuade or pressurize them to smoke.

The Upper East Regional Director of Ghana Health Services, Dr. Awoonor-Williams educated the gathering that an active   smoker is at risk of contracting a number of tobacco-related diseases including cancer of the lungs, bladder, stomach, pancreas and kidney, all of which affect vital organs of the human body.

He said many cardiovascular related diseases like stroke, coronary heart disease and others including mental diseases most of the time derive their source from tobacco usage in various forms.

From Ebo Bruce-Quansah, Bolgatanga