Author: Maame Owusuaa Oppong
Tobacco smoking throughout youth and childhood is huge health trouble amongst young people, leading to severe respiration ailments and capability consequences on lung growth and function.
Regarding this, Vision for Alternative Development (VALD Ghana) has held a media dialogue to declare the need for government to pass the Excise Duty Bill on tobacco products.
The Executive Director of Programs of VALD-Ghana Labram Musah briefing the media said tobacco claims over 8 million lives annually which is a call for the government to whip up the process of passing the bill.
He said since tobacco is a cheap commodity in the market, most vulnerable children below 18 years are exposed to smoking which is very alarming.
According to him, tobacco use is regarded to be the most popular addictive behaviour initiated and set up in the course of adolescence, however a critical chance for public illnesses later in life, most especially lung, kidney, and bladder cancers.
He said, in Ghana, kids and young ones are exposed to seeing role models smoking in films, and music videos portraying tobacco use as a social norm thereby inspiring children to smoke.
Labram Musah is on the view that, if the Excise Duty Bill is passed, prices of tobacco products will be high, public consumption will be cut down and the government will have a source of revenue to improve infrastructure in the country.
Resource Facilitator of the Ghana Health Service Divine Logo added his voice that, more than 6,700 Ghanaians die annually from tobacco illnesses, of which the youth especially are the most victims.
He said, the bill will help regulate the consumption of tobacco products and this can help reduce the high rates of death and illness from tobacco.
According to him, tobacco use is a primary risk factor for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and disabilities.
In Africa, 12.2% of children are at high risk of smoking tobacco because of the exposure, while 19.1% of them currently use tobacco products which he described as very alarming.
“A significant price rise on cigarettes presents a “win-win” policy choice for the government, it will boost income and will decrease use. As a vital policy tool to support the current tobacco control efforts, the government should look critically to consider raising the cigarette tax” he added.
VALD -Ghana is a non-profit and non-governmental organization (NGO) that was established to promote alternative initiatives and to support development at all levels of society, and was registered in Ghana in June 2006.
