In the face of consensus by successive studies on the health hazards of cigarette smoking, People Against Drug Dependence and Ignorance (PADDI) a non-project platform recently organised a workshop in Owerri to again amplify the downside of smoking Chuka O

Cigarette smoking, history shows is alien to Africa, particularly, black Africa. Research maintains that smoking is addictive hence, a common habit amongst tobacco users who inspite of a resolve to quit, continue otherwise. Tobacco which is the key component of every cigarette, irrespective of brand has repeatedly been under serious scientific focus because of its known nicotine and tar contents. Studies show that nicotine is a poisonous substance naturally present in tobacco and is the key addictive component of cigarette. While tar, another poisonous content of cigarettes is a black sticky paste formed by burnt tobacco. Unlike most ominous life - styles and habits borrowed from the West, statistics have revealed that smoking is on the increase, even amongst children aged below nine. Over the years, the World Health Organization (WHO) has steadily been at the vanguard of creating awareness among classes of people across the globe, irrespective of race or colour, on the dangers inherent in the use of tobacco products. According to the statistics released by WHO, it is stated that at least 49 million people reportedly die annually in tobacco related deaths. What is more startling is the fact that, out of this hair-raising figure, over seventy per cent of tobacco related mortality occurs primarily in developing countries. Studies by WHO maintains that more than $200 have been lost to health care, research, socio-economic and environmental costs associated with tobacco. Determined to curb the use of tobacco, the World Health Organization, took a leap in May 12, 1995 and inaugurated the first major global convention on tobacco control. The maiden international campaign against tobacco is believed to have left manufacturers to grapple with a pricking conscience. An indigenous non-governmental organization known as People Against Drug Dependence And Ignorance (PADDI) recently took its campaign against tobacco to Owerri, the capital of Imo state. Apparently worried by the result of major scientific researches made public in journals and sundry publications. The researches infallibly indicated that cigarette smoking is indeed dangerous and lethal to human lives. PADDI is an offshoot of the resolve by WHO to assist humanity in every way possible to achieve knowledge and commitment in reducing harms caused by smoking of cigarettes besides the eradication of other forms of diseases. Early this month, technocrats, journalists, students and civil society, at a workshop at Rapour Hotels and Resort, Owerri converged to deliberate and identify the way forward. Mr. Lawrence Nzekwe, PADDI project officer explained at the occasion, that the workshop was one among others organised in several parts of the country. It was in sequel to a mandate secured from the African Regional office of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tobacco Free Initiative (TFI). He said that PADDI was particularly piqued with the increase in the sale and manufacture of tobacco products in Nigeria, against current and dominant tide of rejection of the product in foreign countries. Nzekwe pointed out that the objective of the workshop was to further extend PADDI's drag net to Owerri for several reasons that include sensitisation of a cross - section of people against tobacco intake. "I have the honour and privilege on behalf of the board of trustees, executive committee and entire membership of People Against Drug Dependence and Ignorance (PADDI) to welcome you all to this auspicious workshop targeted at empowering our legislators, journalists and members of the civil society on the need to join the rest of the international community in combating the tobacco epidemic" he said. The workshop which featured experts from various fields of calling delt extensively with statistics. Some of the guest speakers, included Dr. Noel Onyewuotu, the Medical Director Akaraugo Group of Hospitals. He spoke on "Health Consequences of Tobacco Consumption". Another was Mr. Oluwafemi Akinbode, a tobacco control advocate from the Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth (ERA/FOE). He dwelt on the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC)- Setting Global Agenda for Tobacco Control. A third paper presentation was made by Mr. Eze Eluchie, an attorney - at - Law on "Comparative Analysis of Tobacco Control Legislation. As the Executive Director of PADDI, Eluchie viewed tobacco from the point of view of hard drug which contains lethal substances just like other hard or soft drugs. He based his argument on the premise that cigarette is addictive and injurious to health. "We shall focus our discussion on substances termed soft drugs. These drugs are in most cases indigenous to our Nigeria environment and thus readily available and cheaper. Due to the frequency of the usage such substances equally yield to fatal or unpleasant consequences. The substances include indian hemp (Cannabis). Glue Zakami and other local products. "We readily over - look an equally dangerous product composed of mind altering substances such as nicotine,.... " he added. According to Eluchie some scientific discoveries in recent times have shown that tobacco is the leading singular cause of death worldwide. More than the cumulative total of deaths caused by HIV/AIDS, murder, suicide and highway accidents. PADDI, he noted, had since taken up the gunnery against continued sale of tobacco in the country. Eluchie, who commended the African Regional office of the World Health Organization for providing financial support for PADDI's projects said that the NGO had taken specific steps at curbing further sales and consumption of the substance. These, he said include forwarding a petition to the Director General of National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) Dr. Dora Akunyili, urging her agency to extend the scope of its activities to include the tobacco industry. Forwarding petitions to the entire members of the Senate and federal house of representatives on the need to ratify the FCTC. Addressing a letter to the President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo on the need to be in the vanguard of African countries to sign, ratify and implement the FCTC. Dispatching a position paper to the chairman of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on the need to prohibit the exposure of youths to tobacco advertisements and others. On the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, a guest speaker, Mr. Oluwafemi Akinbode stressed that the FCTC represents a timely rallying point for the emergence of a global action plan for reducing tobacco consumption. He noted that the first global effort of WHO to create awareness about health with regards to tobacco was in the declaration of the year 1980 as a 'no smoking' year. But that in 1988, the WHO designated April 7 as 'World No Tobacco Day'. The date was later to be changed in 1992 to May 31 of every year. According to WHO, the objective of FCTC multisectoral, international organ is to initiate a control on the manufacture, distribution and marketing of the controversial product. The objective of the convention in Article 3 as defined by WHO said, "The objective of this convention and its protocols is to protect future generation from devastating health, social, environmental and economic consequences of tobacco consumption and exposure to tobacco smoke. By providing a framework for tobacco control measures to be implemented by parties at the national, regional and international levels in order to reduce continually and substantially the prevalence of tabacco use and exposure to tobacco smoke". How has the measures impacted on Nigeria ? According to analysts, not much is being achieved in Africa particularly Nigeria, because the manufacturers of tobacco have come to understand how precarious the problem of poverty is in this part of the world. Analysts insist that the manufacturers are determined to, and do part with huge sums for media advertisements. They said that while world attention is focused on practicable means of eliminating tobacco manufacture and consumption, the reverse is obtained in Nigeria where the Federal Government through a curious policy permitted one of the worlds largest and most sophisticated tobacco plant to be cited in Ibadan. The government, they emphasised is apparently disposed to the advert of the British American Tobacco in Nigeria, on faulty thinking that will boost Nigeria's economy. However, the infinitesimal labour force of BAT though inconsequential to the true objectives of the FCTC completely defeats the idea of creation of direct labour or employment when considered that what the conglomerate and government consider profitable at any point in time is the loss of enthralled addicts, they stressed. Furthermore, they argued that the West from where smoking took its root is progressively weeding out all mundane factors which gave tobacco sale or manufacture a rise. Such organized measures include several litigations to claim huge damages from tobacco companies, free health care for abstainers etc. Still, the manufcturers of the product are determined to milk their victims as they embark on various aggressive marketing strategies. This, the analysts noted has culminated in the commissioning of the state of the art British / American tobacco plant worth $150 million dollar in Oyo State. In as much as it is a a known fact that cigarette smoking has been traced to certain disease conditions that pertain to lungs, throat, nose, pharynx, kidney. Apart from this, smoking is equally noted as major causes of ulcer, cancer and cardio vascular diseases. Unfortunately, the diseases which research has shown to claim 75 per cent of victims are prominent in developing countries where medication is either unavailable or unaffordable.

<< Prev	CIGoutlet.NET News Home	Next >>