Afrigather Abuja, 3 June, 2024 – Bassey Effiong, 42, began smoking as a youngster considering “it was cool”. “I believed it confirmed you had been in cost and impartial. I used to be influenced by individuals who smoked in my neighbourhood, in films, and in music movies, he says.
Now as a medical practitioner who has higher data of the hurt smoking does to well being, he says “ I want I by no means took the primary drag”.
Smoking is dangerous to the smoker and those that inhale the smoke. It additionally has a detrimental impact on the spending behaviour of an addicted smoker as they’d moderately spend their final cash shopping for a stick of cigarette than on anything
Smoking is addictive and requires deliberate effort to cease it. My recommendation is don’t begin in any respect,” he says.
Mr Effiong says he’s making an effort to quit smoking and has not smoked in 235 days.
The tobacco epidemic is likely one of the largest public well being threats the world has ever confronted, killing over 8 million individuals a 12 months around the globe, in response to the World Well being Group (WHO).
To attract consideration to the hurt attributable to tobacco use, WHO and its companions commemorate World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) on 31 Might each Yr.
Name for motion
Becoming a member of the Federal Ministry of Well being to commemorate 2024 WNTD, WHO Nation Consultant in Nigeria, Dr Walter Kazadi Mulombo, in his welcome comment says “WHO has supported Nigeria in putting in the Nationwide Tobacco Management Act and its regulation which accommodates a number of provisions to cut back the provision, accessibility, and affordability of tobacco and tobacco merchandise, particularly amongst adolescents and younger adults.
I urge the federal government to fast-track the total implementation of the act to guard present and future generations from the hurt of tobacco. WHO and the Nationwide Bureau of Statistics are supporting the Federal Ministry of Well being and Social Welfare to conduct the second spherical of the World Grownup Tobacco Survey. This survey when accomplished will present up-to-date nationally consultant information on tobacco use within the nation”, he provides.
In her remarks, the Everlasting Secretary, FMOH. Ms Kachullom Daju says “ Whereas the challenges posed by tobacco trade interference are formidable, are certainly not insurmountable
Ms Daju who represented the Coordinating Minster of Well being and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammed Pate provides that the federal government is embarking on a number of methods with companions in combatting the menace posed by tobacco, and Nigeria has made a number of large strides,
In parallel this 12 months, two out of three recipients of the 2024 World No Tobacco Day Awards from the WHO Africa area are Nigerians. The recipients are Ms Gormwa Gotus of Tobacco Abstinence Membership and Tobacco Abstinence Membership.
He additionally prolonged his congratulations to the recipients of the 2024 World No Tobacco Day Award within the African Area and Nigeria as a complete.
The award is given to distinctive people and organizations throughout WHO’s six areas in recognition of their work on tobacco management, particularly amongst adolescents and younger adults.
Smoking epidemic
A current report “Hook the Subsequent Era” launched by WHO and STOP exhibits that globally an estimated 37 million kids aged 13–15 years use tobacco, and in lots of international locations, the speed of e-cigarette use amongst adolescents exceeds that of adults.
This 12 months’s marketing campaign focuses on “for youth, by youth technique” the place younger individuals shall be main the cost in calling out the tobacco trade for its manipulative and misleading ways and revealing the true and devastating influence that the trade has on well being, social justice, and the surroundings.
A youth membership in Nigeria is talking up and elevating consciousness on the hurt of utilizing tobacco and its merchandise, via advocacy, and sensitization campaigns amongst their friends, in faculties, and public locations.
“Usually throughout our campaigns, particularly in faculties, we hear the youth say ” I can stop anytime I need”. This isn’t true. The general public must know that complete abstinence is the one confirmed method to evade the risks of tobacco use and that nicotine-driven habit just isn’t simple to treatment, says Ajaefobi Chinonso Joshua, the president, Tobacco Free Membership, College of Abuja.
He explains that an rising menace among the many youth is the usage of shisha or e-cigarettes to substitute smoking tobacco as a result of false impression that it’s much less dangerous.
We associate with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working in opposition to tobacco to arrange campaigns that advocate in opposition to tobacco use amongst youths throughout WNTD and different worldwide well being days like World Coronary heart Day or World Lungs Day, he provides.
The theme for 2024 “Defending Kids from tobacco trade interference” directs consideration towards the tendencies of how tobacco industries goal the youth to lift a brand new era of people who smoke.
