Smoking Kills: Health Officials warns against Tobacco, others

 

Team Outpost

The Ministry of Health in partnership with the World Health Organisation (WHO) have warned the general public against the dangers of Tobacco and electronic cigarettes in the country. 

It is against this backdrop, the public health officers in collaboration with National Environment Agency (NEA) have recently confiscated e-cigarettes and other illicit tobacco in accordance with the Tobacco Control ACT.

Speaking at the presser held at the Central medical store in Kotu on Friday 2nd February 2024, Momodou Gassama from the World Health Organisation (WHO) said smoking is a killer product, adding that active or passive smokers all die due to smoking. He said 13 per cent of children are smokers.

“Tobacco is a killer and nearly 8 million people die because of Tobacco use. 7 million actively smoke directly die. 1.2 million people die extra  because of passive smoking. 

Whether you smoke actively or passively, smoking kills. 8.2 million people die every year as a result of smoking” he said.

Over 1.3 billion smokers he said, are in the developing countries. He said many countries are now using e-cigarettes.

“Now they are using different forms of Tobacco use including electronic cigarettes,”.

According to WHO there are sixteen thousand flavours of e-cigarettes in the global market. He said these flavours are lethal and harmful. 

“You see some of these flavours are guwava, grapes and they use all types of flavours. And they have enticed our youngsters. Some of these flavours contains nicotine and nicotine is dangerous,” he warned.

Michael Manga Mendy, Director at Health Promotion and Education, at Ministry of Health equally spoke on the dangers of Tobacco and electronic cigarettes in the country. 

 2016 Tobacco Control ACT (TCA) Prohibits public smoking and the electronic cigarettes within an enclosed space or environs.