Arua youth want Govt to ban tobacco production

Jul 30, 2019

The tobacco control act prohibits smoking in all public places, workplaces, means of transport and other outdoor space within 50metres of a public place.

HEALTH     TOBACCO

Various youth in Arua town during a street campaign against public smoking have demanded that government take a deliberate move to stop production of tobacco by farmers and ban its processing from factories.

This emerged when officials from Uganda Health Communication Alliance on Friday took to the streets of Arua town with the youth to educate the public on the tobacco control act and the dangers on public health.

The tobacco control act prohibits smoking in all public places, workplaces, means of transport and other outdoor space within 50metres of a public place.

Gladys Chaiga one of the officials at Uganda Health Communication Alliance rallies people in Arua to stop public smoking and be able to enforce the law prohibiting public smoking.

 

The youth New Vision spoke to on the streets of Arua town want the government to stop tobacco farming and its processing in the factory as the easiest way to stop smoking of cigarettes.

Mudasiri Twaha, a boda boda rider in Arua town said much as the law prohibits public smoking, several people still smoke cigarettes openly.

Twaha said, he is now empowered and committed to arresting anybody who smokes a cigarette in public and hand the culprit to authorities.

"When one smokes, I cough and this makes me feel bad. If the person is old, I walk away and avoid the passive smoking" Twaha said.

Aliga Majid, 27 years said, he smokes a cigarette and it makes him feel a burning in his chest. "It is difficult to quit smoking after several years of smoking when I smoke, I feel relieved, but later it makes my chest feel heavy, but when I smoke again, I feel relieved for a short time," Majid said.

Majid said, once he feels like smoking, it forces him to spend any available money on him without planning for it.

He would spend up to sh5, 000 on cigarettes in a day and now thinks of quitting smoking gradually. Currently, Majid smokes up to 5 sticks of cigarettes every day.

John Atibo another youth observed that those who smoke should be blocked from buying cigarettes and the government should stop its sale and marketing.

He said, much as the law provides 50meters distance for smokers, Atibo thinks it will not solve the problem other than stopping the production of tobacco and processing of cigarettes.

Atibo warns women from smoking citing its dangers to children. Meanwhile, John Adriko said, the only solution is for government to stop tobacco production and processing of cigarette and stop it from accessing markets.

"If factories of tobacco are stopped from operation in Uganda, farmers will automatically quit production," Adriko said.

Doctor Paul Onzubo, the District Health Officer Maracha district who joined in the public health campaign said handling victims of smoking is more expensive for the government in the long run than the taxes collected.

He calls for a joint effort from all stakeholders to preach the gospel on the dangers of public smoking and its health risks to non-smokers.

The Uganda Tobacco Control Act 2015 comes into force after being   gazetted on November 18, 2015

The tobacco control bill was passed by Parliament on July 28, 2015, and was assented to by the President on September 19, 2015. The Act is a fulfillment of Uganda's obligations to the World Health Organization WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) which the country signed on March 5, 2004, and ratified on June 20, 2007.

The law enforcement agencies including the Police, environment protection officers, health inspectors, and municipality enforcement Officers among others are responsible to take action and implement the new law by educating the public and the business community.

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