Enforce 100% ban on public smoking, WHO urges African govts

Dr Matshidiso Moeti, World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Director for Africa, in her message to commemorate the World No Tobacco Day, urged governments in Africa to implement policies against public smoking.

She urged African countries to make policies that would help reduce the use of tobacco in the region, even if it means raising taxes.

The global organisation, who had long stayed on the fight against tobacco use, wants governments to enforce a 100% ban on public smoking as an estimated 1.3 million people die from second-hand smoke every year.

Moeti said no less than 22 nations are making good progress in the fight against tobacco use, but encouraged others to do more.

She stated that tobacco companies are beginning to use different tactics to lure young boys and girls into using tobacco as the use by older generations is beginning to decline.

In her words: “This year’s theme, “Protecting children from tobacco industry interference” is aimed at mobilizing international efforts to shield young people from harmful tobacco and nicotine products and the deceptive strategies often used by the tobacco industry to market their products.”

Moeti revealed that more than 37 million young people aged between 13 and 15 years are using tobacco.

“People exposed to second-hand tobacco smoke are at risk of dying from heart disease, stroke, respiratory diseases, type 2 diabetes, and cancers,” she warned.

“The 2023 WHO Global Report on Trends has shown that 22 countries in the African region are on track to achieve a 30% reduction by the year 2025 relative to 2010 rates.

“In an innovative measure to counter increasing tobacco leaf production, WHO and other UN agencies and governments have supported over 5000 tobacco farmers in Kenya and Zambia to switch to alternative crops.

“We know that young people in the region are exposed to tobacco products through extensive social media and streaming platform campaigns, as well as the use of social media influencers to promote tobacco products to the youth covertly. This poses a significant threat to their health and well-being.

“As tobacco use continues to decline among adults, the tobacco industry has diversified its arsenal to attack and subvert any strong tobacco control efforts and has been trying to grow its portfolio, adding new markets for tobacco and nicotine products.

“As WHO, we continue working closely with governments to address the barriers to effective response and speed up the momentum to protect Africa’s young people from tobacco use.

“Countries should implement and enforce a 100% ban on public smoking and the use of electronic cigarettes (vaping).

“I encourage all our partners, including other UN agencies, civil society organizations, non-governmental organizations, academia, and communities, to raise awareness about the risks of tobacco use and to support strong measures that shield the African youth from the harm of tobacco products—and deceptive advertising practices of the tobacco industry”, she concluded.

Despite messages like “smokers are liable to die young”, tobacco use among young people aged 13 to 15 years in the African region, is at 11.1% for boys and 7.2% for girls, which is about 7 million in total.