Afrigather Abuja, 6 June, 2023 – Earlier than 2021, the cautionary recommendation on cigarette packs in Nigeria was “The Federal Ministry of Well being warns that people who smoke are liable to die younger.”
But, this didn’t deter Useni Musa, a resident of the Federal Captial Territory (Abuja), in Northcentral Nigeria, from making an attempt out his first cigarette stick at 13.
By the age of 19, he had develop into addicted, smoking a median of two packs a day.
Useni is a butcher who sells meat kebabs in Dakwo, a casual settlement in Abuja. He says that the charcoal he makes use of to grill the meat made it straightforward for him to at all times mild a cigarette.
“I smoked for about 20 years,” he says.
“I lived my total life in a slum the place I noticed completely different individuals smoke cigarettes and different substances and I admired their way of life. I began smoking by choosing up cigarette butts or sharing sticks with others. By the point, I began making a living, I started shopping for my packs”, he continues.
Now 35 years previous with wives and kids, Useni explains that he give up smoking to dwell a wholesome life and function a very good instance in society.
He realized that smoking offended individuals due to its robust odor and he give up in 2021.
“In our society, smoking is seen as dangerous and people who smoke are typically thought of to be drug addicts,” he says.
However he warns that “Stopping was not straightforward. It’s a must to make the choice by your self and persist with it.”
Within the case of Abubakar Umar, a scrap supplier and tea vendor from Kastina State, he bought hooked on smoking on the age of 15.
Abubakar knew in regards to the well being implications of smoking and disliked the odor, but began anyway in 2008. He began the behavior as a result of his pals smoked and he wished to be “cool” like them.
“I’m not educated, however you may inform it’s not wholesome to smoke from the warnings and footage on the packs of cigarettes.
I bought influenced by watching and admiring individuals who smoke. I didn’t take pleasure in it at first, however I continued and began smoking about 7 to 10 cigarettes a day. Initially, I believed it helped by soothing me once I bought offended or depressed however it was not the case,” he explains.
Abubakar determined to give up after 15 years of smoking. “I noticed there was no achieve in smoking and determined it was time to cease.”
“Nobody suggested me to give up. I feel individuals can select what’s greatest for themselves. Someday, I attempted smoking and after three puffs, I put it out and stopped,” he recounts. He encourages anybody who needs to give up to be decided even when they relapse.
Placing a cease to tobacco
The World Well being Group (WHO) states that tobacco consumption is among the main public well being threats the world is dealing with.
In Africa, yearly, 146 000 individuals die from tobacco-related ailments together with most cancers, coronary heart illness, stroke, lung ailments, and continual obstructive pulmonary illness, amongst others.
Not like Musa and Abubakar, many individuals are hooked on tobacco however haven’t been in a position to give up.
“Tobacco use is a dangerous behavior that should be prevented as a result of it could introduce a variety of ailments to the physique and has related damaging results on these uncovered to the smoke,” says Dr Francis Fagbuile, a public well being skilled with the College Faculty Instructing Hospital in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Dr Fagbuile explains that “All types of tobacco are dangerous, and there’s no secure degree of publicity.
“Tobacco has about 7000 chemical compounds in it and 40 of them trigger most cancers. When people who smoke use tobacco, it causes hazard to all components of the physique – oral most cancers, lung most cancers oral gum ailments, and in addition impacts the mind. Additionally it is related to hypertension and diabetes,” he says.
Yearly, on 31 Might, WHO and public well being champions all over the world come collectively to mark World No Tobacco Day. The day is used to lift consciousness of the unfavorable well being, social, financial, and environmental impacts of tobacco manufacturing and use
The theme for this 12 months’s commemoration is “We want meals, not tobacco.” Emphasizing the significance of the theme, Dr Fagbuile explains that the cultivation of tobacco is dangerous to the atmosphere, hazardous to the farmers, and will increase the chance of meals insecurity.
“To cease the cultivation of tobacco, the federal government ought to encourage farmers to plant different farm produce that will be useful by offering them with incentives,” he says.
Moreover, WHO Consultant in Nigeria, Dr Walter Kazadi Mulombo, calls on the governments and policymakers to supply an enabling atmosphere for tobacco farmers to shift to rising different meals crops.
He explains that in contrast with different agricultural actions similar to maize rising and grazing livestock, tobacco farming has a much more damaging impression on ecosystems as tobacco farmlands are extra vulnerable to desertification.
“The world over, an estimated 3.5 million hectares of land are used for tobacco rising annually.
9 of the ten largest tobacco cultivators are low- and middle-income international locations and 4 of those are outlined as low-income food-deficit international locations,” he says.
Tobacco regulation efforts
To curb the dangerous use of tobacco, WHO is supporting the Authorities of Nigeria to formulate and implement insurance policies that will regulate the usage of the lethal product.
These embody strengthening the Nationwide Tobacco Management Committee and conducting a number of sensitization and capacity-building actions for various stakeholders, together with on new and rising tobacco merchandise.
As well as, WHO, Centre for Illness Management (CDC), CDC Basis, Analysis Triangle Insitute (RTI), and different stakeholders are supporting the nation to conduct the World Grownup Tobacco Survey.
The survey will present current knowledge on tobacco.
WHO supported the Federal Ministry of Well being to develop and produce Graphic Well being Warnings (GHWs) as stipulated by the 2015 Nationwide Tobacco Management Act and its regulation. Since 2021, a mixture of GHWs and textual content well being warnings protecting at the very least 50% on the bundle is being carried out. This can enhance to 60% by 2024.
Technical contacts:
Dr Msyamboza Kelias; Electronic mail: msyambozak [at] who.int>
Dr Mary Dewan; Electronic mail: dewanm [at] who.int
