Tobacco smoking to kill 8million people a year by 2030

Tobacco-Free-Association Of Zambia Executive Director Brenda Chitindi Says The Tobacco Industry Continues To Promote Products That Cause Loss Of Lives Globally Hence Farmers In The Country Should Diversify By Growing Other Crops Other Than Tobacco.

It Is Reported That Approximately One Person Dies Every Six Seconds Due To Tobacco And This Accounts For One In 10 Adults.
Tobacco Is Also Known To Kill Nearly Six Million People Each Of Whom More Than Five Million Are Users And Ex-Users And More Than 600,000 Are Non Smokers Exposed To Second Hand Smoke.
It Is Further Reported That Up To Half Of The Current Users Will Eventually Die Of Tobacco Related Diseases And Products Will Eventually Kill More Than Eight Million People Globally Each Year By 2030 If Governments Do Not Take Strong Action To Limit Exposure To Tobacco Smoke.
In This Vein Mrs. Chitindi Says Of Particular Concern Is That The Tobacco Industry Is Vigorously Shifting Its Marketing Focus From Developed Countries To Low Middle Income Countries In Africa And Asia And Zambia Is Not Spared.
She Says This Poses A Challenge And A Public Health Threat To Zambia Which Has Already Many Competing Priorities For The Meager Resources To Provide Basic Human Needs.
Mrs. Chitindi Says Limited Awareness Is What Constitutes Tobacco Industry Interference At Political And Community Level And This Calls For More Attention To The Supply-Side Issues Of The Epidemic.
Mrs. Chitindi Was Speaking When She Officially Opened The Alternative Crops And Livelihoods For Tobacco Small Scale Famers In Central Province.
And Central Province Minister Phillip Kosamu Says A Policy Framework That Combines Technical, Financial Assistance, Capacity Building, Market And Social Support Needs To Be Identified And Supported.
Mr. Kosamu Says For Such A Strategy To Be Successful It Would Require A Long Term Approach Aimed At Building Alliances With Tobacco Farmers And Creating Mechanisms For Tobacco Farmer Investment In Local Infrastructure.
He Has Promised The Tobacco Farmers That Government Will Ensure That Markets Are Identified For Other Crops Which They Will Identify And Start Growing.
Meanwhile Government Through The Ministry Of Health National Control Focal Point Person John Mayeya Has Disclosed That It Has Concluded Drafting The Tobacco Control Bill And Handed It Over To The Ministry Of Justice For Approval.
The Tobacco Control Bill Will Ensure That Government Controls How Much Tobacco Is In Circulation And How Much The Public Consume With The View Of Reducing Health Diseases Such As Cancer