Tobacco contributes to 25% of all #cancer deaths! It’s the primary cause of lung cancer & contributes to cancers of the bladder, blood, bone marrow, cervix, colon, kidneys, larynx, liver, mouth, pancreas, rectum, stomach & throat.
Joel Gitali Chairman of Tobacco Control and Health Promotion Alliance says:
“This is a very sad situation. One expects the this information to influence how tobacco control is handled in the country. By dealing with tobacco, we shall be preventing 25% of deaths caused by cancer in the country. The percentage is even higher when you consider deaths caused by other tobacco related conditions that aren’t cancer. Given the disease burden to the country, efforts should be directed at preventive medicine.
We should not allow all these suffering that can be tackled. By implementing tobacco control laws and policies in the country, we save lives, improve the economy and conserve our environment. It’s one single thing that contributes to the attainment of all SDGs. The increasing mental health problems attributed to tobacco use, opening of floodgates to drug abuse and escalating violence have got something to do with increased consumption of tobacco and other nicotine products. We can do better.
We are tired of rhetoric. Tobacco control Fund is being handled very reluctantly and in an opaque manner. Now we are told funds from tobacco related revenues will be put in the National Social Health Insurance Fund. We are worried that the usual cartels in the ministry will divert to uses that give them an opportunity to steal. The government must be serious with issues tobacco control. We can keep releasing statistics that do not inform our decisions.”
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