FDA commemorates 37th World No Tobacco Day
The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has marked the Thirty-seventh (37th) commemoration of the World No Tobacco Day (WNTD).
This year’s commemoration of WNTD was held at the Headquarters of the FDA, Shiashie under the theme, “Protecting children from Tobacco Industry Interference”, and was marked in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, the World Health Organization (WHO), VALD Ghana, the media and other stakeholders.
Speaking on behalf of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Authority, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer Mrs. Yvonne Nkrumah in her opening address, said “The FDA together with other stakeholders are embarking on a journey of awareness, dedicated to shedding light on the dark shadows cast by tobacco on our health and well-being.
She also reiterated that the focus has been sharpened this year with the theme: “Protecting Children from Tobacco Industry Interference.”
“It’s a theme that strikes a chord deep within us, resonating with our collective commitment to safeguarding our future generations from the clutches of a harmful industry. We aim to raise awareness by illuminating the dark alleys of tobacco’s impact on health and shielding our children from the insidious influence of the tobacco industry.
“This campaign is a beacon of hope, empowering our youth with knowledge about the perils of tobacco use and arming them with the resilience to resist temptation. We must fortify our defenses with robust policies and regulations to stem the industry’s tide and safeguard our children’s health,” she quipped.
She further added that the Food and Drugs Authority, as mandated by the Public Health Act 2012 (Act 851), stands unwavering in its commitment to enforce tobacco control measures and will intensify public awareness campaigns on the dangers of tobacco, including shisha and emerging trends in electronic nicotine delivery products.
According to Tobacco Atlas Ghana, more than Seven hundred and seventy-nine thousand, two hundred (779,200) men, Twenty-five thousand, seven hundred (25,700) women and two thousand seven hundred (2,700) boys smoke cigarettes. Out of these figures, seventy-five (75) men die weekly making this a public health threat
During the meeting, a representative of the WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Frank John Lule gave some remarks indicating that tobacco use is declining in 150 countries, and there are now 19 million fewer smokers globally than there were two years ago. He also affirmed that there has been progress in tobacco control while recognizing the challenges in efforts to stop the tactics employed by the tobacco industry to frustrate tobacco control efforts.
“The prevalence of tobacco use among adults in the African region has declined from 14.9% in 2010 to 9.5% in 2023. The 2023 WHO Global Report on Trends has shown that several countries in the African region including Ghana are on track to achieve a 30% reduction by the year 2025 relative to 2010 rates,” he noted.
Globally, more than 37 million young people aged between 13 and 15 years are using tobacco. In the African Region, tobacco use among young people aged 13 to 15 years is at 11.1% for boys and 7.2% for girls, which is about 7 million tobacco users.
An estimated 1.3 million people die from second-hand smoke every year. These deaths are entirely preventable. People exposed to secondhand tobacco smoke are at risk of dying from heart disease, stroke, respiratory diseases, type 2 diabetes, and cancers.
As part of efforts to protect people, especially young people, from tobacco industry interference, Ghana is being supported through the FCTC Project 2030 to sustain a consistent momentum in tobacco control by pushing for robust tobacco regulations, stringent controls on marketing strategies for new and emerging tobacco and nicotine products which are often designed to attract young people.
In his keynote address, the Deputy Minister of Health, Hon. Alexander Akwasi Acquah said, “Progress has been made in the area of tobacco control from the ratification of the WHO Framework Convention for Tobacco Control (FCTC) Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products, the passage of the Public Health Act, 2012, (Act 851) with “Tobacco control measures” occupying Part Six of the Act, and passage of Tobacco Control Regulations, 2016 (L.I. 2247) in fulfillment to the provisions of the Public Health Act 2012 (851) and Ghana’s obligation being party to WHO FCTC.”
As part of the plans, Ghana recently introduced the Excise Duty (Amendment) Bill, 2022 amending the Excise Duty Act 2014. Through the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) Project 2030, there has been the successful development of a 5-year National Tobacco Control Strategy which is being implemented, marked improvement and strengthening of inter-agency coordination, revision of the smoke-free policy, implementation and enforcement on the ban on tobacco advertisement.
Speaking to the theme, the Minister made a clarion call to all stakeholders, emphasizing the fact that the tobacco industry lure children into using these products with their packaging.
“Children are particularly vulnerable to the deceptive tactics of tobacco companies. They are lured by colorful packaging, misleading flavors, and manipulative marketing campaigns. The industry preys on their curiosity and attachment to our social media platforms, attempting to create a new generation of addicted customers.
“We remain committed to protecting our children from tobacco industry interference through strengthening enforcement of existing tobacco control laws which ensures strict enforcement of bans on tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship. This includes eliminating deceptive marketing tactics that target children,” the Minister noted.
This year’s WNTD sets the pace for a global campaign that aims to debunk the myths and expose tactics employed by the tobacco industries. In this regard, young people are being equipped with the requisite knowledge and tools to easily detect industry manipulation and rebuff such tactics.
