By Anna Claudia Duker
The Chief Executive Officer of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), Mrs. Delese Darko commemorating the World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) has stated more than ever the fight against tobacco use cannot be underestimated as the world battles a global health crisis with the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to her, we have to adopt responsible lifestyles that neither predispose us to infections nor cripple our ability to fight infections stating that, “COVID-19 is an infectious disease that primarily attacks the lungs and tobacco smoking which is a known risk factor for many respiratory infections, impairs lung function making it harder for the body to fight off coronaviruses and other diseases”.
Mrs Darko addressing stakeholders yesterday, under the theme “Protecting the youth from industry manipulation and preventing them from tobacco and nicotine use” noted, emerging studies by public health experts have substantiated the likelihood of smokers developing severe diseases with COVID-19, compared to non-smokers.
Every year, on 31 May, the World Health Organization (WHO) and global partners celebrate World No Tobacco Day (WNTD). The annual campaign is an opportunity to raise awareness on the harmful and deadly effects of tobacco use, second-hand exposure to tobacco smoke, and to discourage the use of tobacco in any form.
In Ghana, more than 425,200 men, 69,200 women and 2,700 boys smoke cigarettes each day killing about 75 men weekly and making it an on-going dire public health threat (Tobacco Atlas Ghana).Prevalence in shisha use is higher in girls (1.7) than boys(1.6) (Ghana Youth Tobacco Survey,2017) probably due to the misconception that shisha is a safer alternative, to dispel this notion an aggressive anti- shisha campaign has been initiated by the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) in collaboration with the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS).
She explained tobacco products are known to contain 7,000 chemicals; hundreds of which are known to be toxic and about 69 are carcinogenic, examples are Benzene, Arsenic, Cadmuim, Carbon monoxide and Formaldehyde.
The CEO indicated the myriad of chemicals in tobacco informs the strong correlation between tobacco and cancers adding that, tobacco use is responsible for 25% of all cancer deaths globally and also use of nicotine and tobacco products increases the risk of cancer, cardiovascular and pulmonary disease.
She added, the current trends such as E-cigarettes and shisha further increases one’s vulnerability to heart diseases and lung disorders
Mrs. Darko stated this year’s WNTD sets the pace for a global campaign that aims to debunk myths and expose devious tactics employed by these industries to deliberately employed strategic, aggressive and well-resourced tactics to attract youth to tobacco and nicotine products.
Also, it will equip young people with the requisite knowledge to easily detect industry manipulation and equip them further with the tools to rebuff such tactics.
The Head of Tobacco and Substances of Abuse Department ; FDA, Olivia Agyekumwaa Boateng (DR. MRS) said as party to the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) Ghana has implemented most of the articles of the organisation geared towards protecting her citizens from the harm of tobacco consumption and from tobacco smoke.
According to her, the FDA has enforce its regulations to protect Ghanaians due to a review of studies by public health experts convened by WHO on 29 April 2020 which found that smokers are more likely to develop severe disease with COVID-19, compared to non-smokers.
Dr Mrs Boateng stated the Authority has adopt plain packaging on tobacco product as a measure to reduce the attractiveness, and restrict use of tobacco packing as a form of advertisement and promotion and also, enforce Strictly regulations concerning Depictions of tobacco in entertainment media.
She said the FDA is committed to creating a tobacco free society and will continually enforce the Tobacco laws by continuous public education and sensitization in media and in communities, fines and penalties, unannounced visits and surveillance.
Others are, prompt responses to complaints, public support and public enforcement, engagement with interest groups and collaboration with partner government agencies and organizations.
She noted the key areas covered by the Public health act, 2012, act 851 include prohibition of smoking in public places, tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship, packaging and labelling of tobacco products, points of sale health warning.
The rest are, minimum age restriction, public education against tobacco use, treatment of tobacco addiction, sale of tobacco products and collaboration with relevant bodies to check illicit tobacco trade.
Dr Mrs Boateng added the regulations under the current Tobacco Control Regulations 2016, (L.I 2247) has given Ghana the mandate to introduce Pictorial Health Warning (PHW) and as such join only a handful of countries in Africa to successfully implement the WHO FCTC initiative of using Graphics to communicate the effects of tobacco use and exposure to tobacco smoke.
She mentioned the L.I also covers key areas including, requirements for areas designated for smoking , display of no smoking signs, duties of owners or persons in charge of a public place or work place, depictions of tobacco in entertainment media, health warnings and messages for tobacco and tobacco product and Illicit Tobacco and Tobacco Products.
The Head of Department noted the Authourity embarks on regular activities as continuous sensitization and education of the public (at schools, churches, durbar, beaches, transport terminals, market, media, kwahu, exhibition and WNTD) on the tobacco control laws and the harmful effects of tobacco use to foster citizens understanding of the law and encourage voluntary compliance.
Others are training workshop for stakeholders involved in tobacco control, monitoring of tobacco compliance and non-compliances, strengthen enforcement at boarders and points of entry to prevent entry of unregistered tobacco products.
She further said the Authourity collaborate with the police and other law enforcement agencies to organize nationwide Swoops to raid the market of all unregistered tobacco products and registered tobacco products without PHW and also increase advocacy to ensure compliance in tobacco control.
Dr Mrs Boateng noted measures have been adopted by the FDA to protect the youth from industry manipulations such as ban on Tobacco and Tobacco Products Advertising, ban on Tobacco Sponsorship, ban on the Promotion of Tobacco and Tobacco Products.
According to her, there have conspicuous display of point of sale health warnings at the public facility where tobacco and tobacco products are sold, minimum age restriction.
The rest are routine public education to raise awareness about the addictive and harmful nature of tobacco products and about tobacco industry interference and pictorial health warnings to critically communicate health risk and detract the overall attractiveness of the package.
