The New Crusading Guide

By Ariane Kunze

Yesterday, at the Engagement meeting on Tobacco Control Bye-Laws, Poverty and Development at the AMA Conference Hall, a plan of action was announced for reducing tobacco use in Accra.  The goal of the conference, according to the Vision for Alternative Development (VALD), is to help strengthen tobacco control at the local level to improve health and reduce poverty. According to VALD, the first steps towards eliminating tobacco use are to educate the community, pass Tobacco Control Bye-Laws and eventually pass the Tobacco Bill in parliament

Chairman Samuel Dartey, from VALD, opened the conference by revealing shocking statistics about tobacco use locally and worldwide. He said that tobacco kills over 5 million people every year worldwide and those who start smoking in their teen years, will die 25-years younger than non-smokers. Dartey said that women who smoke while they are pregnant, or are exposed to second-hand smoke, are at risk for premature birth, miscarriage and prenatal mortality.

Labram Musah, the Programs Director from VALD, educated about the link between poverty and tobacco use. He said studies show that in the poorest low-income countries, 10 to 15 percent of household expenditure is spent on tobacco products.

The only way to reduce these problems is to gain complete control over tobacco use, Dartey said.

To gain complete control, three tasks must first be achieved, Dartey said. People must be discouraged from smoking, users must be encouraged to quit and education must be spread about the toxins in tobacco. The Tobacco Control Bill would achieve these tasks, but would first need to be passed in parliament, Dartey said. Since passing a national bill is often a complex and lengthy task, Tobacco Control Bye-Laws will first be established.

The Bye-Laws would first put a tax on tobacco, increase its price and package all tobacco products with health warnings. Education, training and public awareness would be spread. All direct and indirect advertising, promotion and sponsorship of tobacco products would be banned. To prevent addiction from occurring at an early age, the sale of tobacco to minors would be prohibited.  Economic Support and alternatives would be provided for tobacco farmers.  Musah said that the ultimate goal is to ban public smoking within the metropolis.

To pass these Bye-Laws, there will need to be local collaboration to stimulate resources and work must be done with the metro police and the government, Musah said.

Miss Eshun believes that having Tobacco Control Bye-Laws will help Accra achieve the goals of the Tobacco Bill. She said that money is more beneficial when used towards the end of tobacco use. The education within the byelaws would improve the health of children by discouraging them from using drugs and other tobacco products.

Mr. Divine Logo believes that more attention should be given to tobacco use as an issue in Ghana.

“When you look at percentages, it looks like Ghana is not smoking. This is because Ghana is a developing county. We don’t have the resources, the treatment or anything,” Divine said.

All speakers at the Engagement Meeting on Tobacco Control Bye-Laws, Poverty and Development came to a consensus that action must be taken immediately towards winning the battle against tobacco addiction.