SMOKING PATTERNS OF YOUNG PEOPLE WORRISOME – MINISTER

By Sandra Machima

THE smoking patterns of the young population remain a source of concern, says Minister of Health Elijah Muchima.

The Minister has noted that tobacco use has remained one of the most significant public health challenges of time, looking at how young people were abusing the product.

Mr. Muchima said the Head of State was therefore directing attention towards the alarming trend of the tobacco industry’s targeted marketing towards children, as exemplified by the trending smoking of shisha and other related cigarettes in public places like the malls and a number of places in suburbs.

He said this during the launch of the Tobacco Control Aerobics Mania hosted by Centre for Trade Policy and Development (CTPD) and other civil society organizations advocating for tobacco control in Zambia.

He further said Zambia revised the anti-smoking laws to ban smoking in public places to safeguard public health, adding that achieving better health outcomes required concerted efforts from the Government, cooperating partners, and various Civil Society Organizations (CSOs).

“Pollution of air due to tobacco smoke is a serious infringement on the rights of those who do not smoke. There is no level exposure to tobacco smoke that is risk free. For this reason, it should be emphasized that every person has the right to breathe tobacco smoke free air,” Mr. Muchima said.

And the Minister has disclosed that Zambia has made progress in domesticating the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), which is aimed at protecting public health.

He said the Government is pursuing comprehensive tobacco control legislation to avert the growing trends in tobacco use particularly among the young people.

He said the law will help propagate harm reduction strategies that aim to improve the health of the population by reducing the consumption and exposure to tobacco and nicotine products.

“The main objective of the law is to protect present and future generations from the devastating health, social, environmental and economic consequences of tobacco consumption and exposure to tobacco smoke,” he said.

He said the Ministry of Health was committed to improve the health status of the people of Zambia and contribute to human and socioeconomic development as part of its mandate.

“We are working round the clock to ensure effective, quality healthcare provision as close to the people as possible, as well as providing access to equitable and cost-effective health service delivery in the country,” he said.

 Through extensive social media and streaming platform campaigns, he said, young people were increasingly exposed to tobacco products thereby posing a significant threat to their health and well-being. 

According to WHO Global Policy Brief, tobacco addiction is a global epidemic that ravages entire countries and regions, wreaking havoc in the most vulnerable countries including Zambia.