WHO calls on governments to broaden tobacco control efforts

Kumasi, June 1, GNA - World Health Organisation (WHO) has called on governments to broaden tobacco control efforts in view of the rapid spread and growing variety of smoked and smokeless tobacco products and the increasing use of these products by young people who may be unaware of their harmful effects.

Dr Joaquim Saweka, WHO Representative in Ghana who made the call, said tobacco addiction was now a global epidemic that was progressively ravaging countries and regions that can least afford its toll of disability, disease, lost of productivity and death. Speaking at the launch of World No Tobacco Day celebration in Kumasi on Wednesday, he said public awareness of tobacco's harmful effects was essential to lay the foundations for acceptable tobacco control policies and regulations.

Dr Saweka pointed out that as nations had begin to fight back with global strategy and some countries begun to turn the course of the epidemic, tobacco companies continued to launch new weapons in the form of products disguised to appear less harmful and more attractive. He said the theme for the celebration, "Tobacco, Deadly In Any form Of Disguising", was very appropriate and timely as it aimed at raising awareness especially among young people about the great variety of deadly tobacco products that were being marketed around the world under new variant and deceptive forms like "low tar", "mild" and "light". Professor Agyeman Badu Akosa, Director-General, Ghana Health Service (GHS), called on the government to expedite action to pass the National Tobacco Act to check and regulate the use of the product in the country.

He said the GHS was collaborating with the WHO to ensure that tobacco use remained a public concern to safeguard the health of the people so as to be able to contribute to national development. Prof Akosa indicated that it is estimated that more than 100 million people would die of smoking during the next 25 years and that most of those people are already smokers today. "About half of the smokers will die because of their smoking habit and the other half will lose about 20 years of their life. On the other hand stopping smoking even late in life pays off. Health starts to improve immediately or risk of heart reduces considerably during the following one to two years and that of cancer later", he added. Dr Kofi Asare, Ashanti Regional Director of Health Services, said about 1,000 young people in the region had registered with the GHS to quit and drop the stick.

He said smoking was not good for human beings and that the Service would continue to campaign to draw attention its dangers. Sulemana Alhassan of the Northern region won the national draw of the "Quit and Win Ghana 2006", and for his prize, he took home a colour television set.

Kwame Adarkwa of Greater Accra and Sumaili Abdulai of Ashanti took the second and third positions respectively and were each presented with a standing fan.