Tobacco: Helpful or Harmful?

Source from:  Africa News (nl) 01/13/2010

The least said about tobacco, the better. In the Northern part of Ghana, that is Tamale, there are communities that take pride in planting, harvesting, processing, and trading in it. To them, tobacco has no health risks but rather health and other benefits. First of all, tobacco is planted all year round. When the farmer has harvested enough leaves, it's ready for the next stage, which is processing. The leaves are pounded in a special mortar till they smooth. They are then stored in a pot for two days after which they are dried in the sun. The pounded leaves go back into the mortar to be re-pounded until they become compact. At this stage, if need, a little amount of water is added while the pounding continues. The next step is to put them in small bags, like 5kg rice sacks and a thread made of bicycle inner-tube but thinly cut, is tied around it. It is then hit on a stone to shape. When it's untied from the sack and the desired shape is not achieved, the process of bagging and hitting on stone is repeated until it is compact and cylindrical in shape. It is finally removed from the sack and smeared with a solution made of hot water mixed with Shea nut oil to preserve it. According to the farmers, it can last for three to four years. According Abdul Rahman, they sell it at Tamale, Konkomba, Salaga, and Nyankpala markets. Sometimes, it's sold inKumasi. The price ranges from GH￠15 to GH￠ 100 (i.e. ?.5 to ?0) depending on the forces of demand and supply. However it's lowest in the rainy season and highest in the dry season. Apart from smoking for status and the financial benefits, tobacco is used for spraying cocoa and treating tooth decay. However, the young men who smoke tobacco are made fun of so they tend to smoke cigarette to prove that they are of age, while the older men smoke both. When this reporter asked one old man that does he know that cigarette smoking can be harmful to his health, and that he could end up a pauper if he spends his money on tobacco, he replied that, that's what everybody says nowadays, however, they learnt smoking from the white man. Secondly, his grandfather and father smoked it and yet lived very long. Finally, he is a planter himself and so will be short of tobacco. Is tobacco really harmful of helpful? Enditem