Ms Najat Ibrahim, Communications and Administration Officer of Vision for Alternative Development (VALD), a non-governmental organisation has called on the Government to hasten the passage of the Tobacco Control Bill into law.
She said this would ensure that the public was protected from tobacco related diseases such as lung, oral and throat cancers, heart diseases, heart attack and infertility.
Ms Ibrahim made the appeal at a community forum to launch a Community Health Support Team at Kanda in Accra to support and monitor the implementation of the Bill when it is passed into law.
She said surveys in developing and transition countries showed that about 20 per cent of pupils aged 13 to 15 were using of tobacco
products and one in four young people started the habit before age 10.
“The constant marketing of tobacco products to the youth of today means millions of deaths in 30 to 40 years time,” adding that tobacco
was one of the most deadly licensed drugs ever to exist.
Ms Ibrahim said tobacco had contributed to the poverty of individuals and families because users were at much higher risk of falling ill and dying prematurely of cancers, heart attacks,
respiratory diseases and other ailments, thus depriving families of much-needed income and imposing additional healthcare cost.
She urged assembly members to assist in the fight against tobacco use and smoking within their communities.
Ms Ibrahim said VALD would collaborate with the assemblies towards the passage of by-laws to prevent people from freely smoking and selling of the drug.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the fight against tobacco requires the hands of all of us on the deck to enable us achieve a tobacco-free
environment. We all have the right to clean and disease-free air,” she said.
The Guest Speaker, Alhaji Umar Sanda said tobacco in any form was dangerous to human health and therefore urged the youth to endeavour
not to be tempted into taking even a single stick of cigarette.
Mr Abdul Basit Osumanu, Assemblyman for Kanda pledged his support for any initiative that the VALD would undertake for the development
and well being of the people.
In solidarity messages, Mallam Issah, Chairman of the programme asked the people, especially the youth to shy away from tobacco.