Afrigather Ouagadougou – Pierre Ouedraogo, who has labored on the Neerwaya cinema within the capital Ouagadougou for some 30 years, by no means tires of extolling the advantages of the ban on smoking in public locations. Now his institution affords a more healthy atmosphere for everybody, particularly these with respiratory situations, allergic reactions or smoke sensitivity.
The ban on smoking in public locations and on public transport, which has been in drive for over 10 years, has made an enormous distinction, he says.
For the cinema, the legislation barred tobacco customers from smoking not solely inside, but in addition within the exterior courtyard, and cigarettes are now not bought there. In Burkina Faso, the 2021 STEPS survey revealed that greater than 13% of individuals aged 18 to 69 use tobacco.
Beforehand, many cinemagoers discovered themselves victims of passive smoking. In response to ATLAS knowledge, out of the entire 4800 deaths from tobacco-related sicknesses in Burkina Faso in 2017, 1300 have been non-smokers – nearly one third.
Passive smoking causes lung most cancers in non-smokers and will increase the chance of respiratory and coronary heart illness. In response to World Well being Organisation (WHO) knowledge, nearly half of all younger individuals (48%) within the African Area are negatively impacted by passive smoking in public locations.
Arlette Tinguerie and her daughter Estelle verify Ouedraogo’s feedback. They respect the contemporary air that now circulates within the cinema as they take pleasure in mother-daughter time collectively: “I typically like to return with my daughter,” she says.
In response to Dr Boezemwendé Ouaba, director of Well being Schooling Promotion in Burkina Faso’s Ministry of Well being, the strengthening of anti-smoking campaigns has prompted “a rise within the variety of individuals going to well being providers for recommendation on giving up smoking”.
A smoking cessation unit arrange on the Yalgado College Hospital in Ouagadougou in February 2017 welcomes a mean of 45 people who smoke in search of help each week. Sixty p.c of them efficiently handle to give up smoking after between 5 and 40 years of nicotine dependence.
WHO has performed a powerful supportive position all through Burkina Faso’s efforts to implement varied anti-tobacco methods. The Group is at the moment serving to the nation to attract up new tips, is aiding with advocacy, and serving to practice well being staff in smoking cessation.
There’s a rising anti-tobacco foyer within the nation, from legislation enforcement to civil society gamers, with some assist from native media. One of many notable outcomes of the actions taken up to now is the practically 8% discount within the passive smoking fee over the previous eight years, from about 36% in 2013 to almost 29% in 2021.
Dr Seydou Ouaritio Coulibaly, WHO interim consultant in Burkina Faso, welcomes the progress: “We’re positively getting someplace. Our precedence is to guard the youthful technology from the risks of smoking by protecting them as distant as attainable from tobacco and its by-products.”
Ouedraogo’s precedence can be the youthful technology. “Most of our youngsters begin smoking as a result of they see others smoking. These efforts are making an enormous distinction.”
