TOBACCO CONSUMPTION IN NORTHERN REGION ALARMING– HEALTH OFFICIALS

Officials of the Northern Regional Directorate of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), say the rate of tobacco consumption in the region has assumed an alarming proportion as most people particularly farmers in the rural areas do not only smoke the product, but also chew or mix it with food.

According to the health officials, large quantities of tobacco were being farmed in the area and therefore, its consumption could have serious health implications among the populace if stringent measures were not put in place to curtail the phenomenon.

Deputy Director of Public Health, Dr. Jacob Mahama, who addressed journalists as part of the directorate’s quarterly media sensitization programme in Tamale, blamed the situation on the failure by government to pass the Anti Tobacco Bill into Law.

The Bill, which has been in Parliament for about 7 years now, is yet to be passed into Law. Some of the details of the bill seek to ban public smoking which has serious health effects on passive or non-smokers.

It would also, when passed into law, restrain children from handling any tobacco related product and anyone caught smoking at public places would be sentenced to jail or probably fined.

The Northern Region in particular, is said to be leading the whole Ghana in terms of tobacco consumption or cigarette smoking as an estimated 17.7% people were involved.

Dr. Mahama said tobacco can be used as a dry snuff, moist snuff, chewed and smoked, citing tar, nicotine, ammonia, acetone, arsenic, benzene, cadmium, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, hydrogen cyanide and methanol as chemical substances found in tobacco.

When smoked, chewed or sniffed, it could cause heart disease, lungs, lip, tongue and throat cancers, dry skin and frequent headaches, stroke, bad breathe and among others, he warned.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Director of Public Health called on government and non-governmental organizations to help reduce the ill-effects of smoking in the society by banning smoking and also using stickers with warning signs like “NO SMOKING” at work places.

Owners and directors of hotels, restaurants and chop bars he said, should also protect the health of non-smokers by setting aside special places for smokers.

He charged teachers to avoid smoking in school compounds or during school hours as this might affect those around them and also encourage students to smoke.

Dr. Jacob Mahama advised parents who smoke in the presence of their children to put a stop to it. Adding that, they should stop asking children to light cigarettes for them.