Namibia: Call for Ban On Tobacco Advertising

Source from:  New Era 05/30/2013

Namibia will this coming Friday join the rest of the world in observing 'World No Tobacco Day' under the theme 'Ban Tobacco Advertising, Promotion and Sponsorship' with the official event slated for Keetmanshoop.

The 'World No Tobacco Day' this year focuses on the comprehensive ban of all tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship as required under the World Health Organisation (WHO) Framework Convention for tobacco control, according to the Ministry of Health and Social Services.

The country slogan for this year's commemoration is 'Tobacco Kills, Say No To Tobacco Use and Smoking, Don't Fall for Misleading Advertising, Don't Get Tricked By The Tobacco Industry.' According to a press release issued by the Ministry of Health and Social Services, evidence has shown that comprehensive advertising bans lead to reductions in the number of people starting and continuing to smoke.

The WHO indicates tobacco kills nearly six million people each year, of which more than 600 000 are non-smokers dying from breathing in second-hand smoke.

Sister Nellie Coetzee of the Cancer Association of Namibia yesterday said smoking is dangerous and the greatest link to many types of cancers. Amongst the cancers closely linked with tobacco smoking, said Coetzee, are lung cancer and cancer of the oesophagus. Smokers are also most likely to suffer from cancer of the cervix and prostate cancer, Coetzee added.

According to her, old people are not the only ones likely to suffer from these types of cancers, but young people too can suffer from cancer. Coetzee also highlighted the fact that smokers are most likely to suffer from diseases such as high blood pressure and cardiac problems. She also touched on the dangers of second-hand smoking, which is when a non-smoker is exposed to inhaling smoke of a smoker. "Second-hand smoking is as dangerous as first-hand smoking," cautioned Coetzee.

She further highlighted that children of smokers are most likely to suffer diseases in later life, adding that a woman who smokes during pregnancy can harm her unborn baby and in severe cases, she could even prematurely lose her unborn foetus.

According to WHO studies, few people understand the specific health risks of tobacco use. For example, a 2009 survey in China revealed that only 38 percent of smokers knew that smoking causes coronary heart disease and only 27 percent knew that it causes stroke.

Most smokers who are aware of the dangers of tobacco want to quit. According to health experts, counselling and medication can more than double the chance that a smoker who tries to quit will succeed. Coetzee advised those who want to quit smoking to consult their medical doctors for prescribed medication. However, she was quick to point out that a person should be willing to quit smoking in order to succeed. Enditem