Tanzania to Maintain Tobacco Production Support

Source from:  Tobacco Reporter 11/06/2009

The Tanzanian government has said that it is going to continue to support tobacco farming despite the increase in cancer cases attributed to cigarette smoking, according to a TSN Daily News story by Jiang Alipo. The Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Food Security and Co-operatives, Dr. David Mathayo, said that one reason for not stopping production was that 85 per cent of locally-produced leaf was exported. "Tobacco farming and production employs 1.3 per cent of the population, which is equal to 500,000 Tanzanians and their families depending on the crop for their livelihoods," he said. Mathayo pointed out that tobacco advertising was banned in Tanzania, sales were restricted to those over 18 and packs included health warnings. This meant that the young were protected and adults were presented with the information on which they could base their decisions of whether or not to smoke. Enditem