Tobacco.org

• Illicit cigarette trade worsens under-age smoking 

, the number of cigarette smokers, especially those that are at adolescent stage, is said to have risen sharply not only in Francistown but also in other urban centres.

The 2001 Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) indicated that tobacco-use prevalence among girls increased by 4.4 percent in 2008. According to the survey, there is an overall 14.3 percent smoking prevalence among 13-15 year-old upper primary (Standard Seven) and lower secondary (Forms one and two). About 21 percent of persons aged 15 and above are smoking in Botswana.

Smuggled cigarettes like Madison, Kingsgate, Everest, Pacific and Seville's are some of the commonly used tobacco products. The survey further revealed that cigars are becoming fashionable in the country, adding that previously ,cigar-use was observed only among up-market consumers.

Tobacco has become a substance of choice for many young people and easy access to it, usually sold discreetly by street vendors and in some shops, has given rise to cigarette smoking - with addicts as young as 12 years old, in a country where rehabilitation resources are scarce. Smokers are mainly young people, especially those from poor families. Many teenagers usually experiment with cigarettes without realising that they can lead to addiction and eventually endangering their health.

Take 17-year-old Kabelo of Monarch area in Francistown, for example.

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P1m fine for a cigarette? 

Lighting a cigarette on a plane is going to be classified as a serious offence for which a person can be fined up to P1 million.

The same fine will be applied to a person who gets drunk on board - something, which Member of Parliament (MP) for Tonota South Pono Moathodi has described as unreasonable.

Moathodi was commenting on the Aviation Security Act presented before the House by Minister of Transport and Communication, Frank Ramsden, yesterday.

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• EDITORIAL: Govt should wage all-out war against tobacco 

We are talking about the efforts of activists like Bontle Mbongwe who in spite of the obvious challenge of having to fight a multi-million Pula business has persevered, and even took the lead in founding an Anti-Tobacco network. Looking at the amount of work that Mbongwe and her colleagues have done, Botswana should be well-advanced in its tobacco laws. Sadly that is not the case. While Mbongwe's fight is not in vain - we recognise her sterling work - the response from government has not been encouraging. Why, we still have some of the most outrageous smoking behaviours just about everywhere, even under the noses of law enforcement officers. . . .

If you challenge law enforcement agencies to provide statistics on people who have been arrested and charged for selling tobacco to minors or sending them to buy, chances are that there will be nothing.

This can only mean one of several things: The nation has accepted the bad smoking habits of some people, or law enforcement agents do not understand anti-tobacco legislation. Alternatively, anti-tobacco laws are too weak to be a deterrent. We call on government to supplement Mbongwe's fight by committing resources for educating law enforcement officers and the public about existing anti-tobacco legislation, and indeed fighting tobacco.

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• Tobacco products act urged 

Anti-Tobacco Network (ATN) has urged government to accelerate the development of the Tobacco Products Act, as the country is rapidly becoming a haven for illicit tobacco traders.

The non-governmental organisation (NGO), which aims at controlling and reducing tobacco use in the country, has implored government to adopt punitive measures to curb tobacco use in line with the Framework Convection on Tobacco Control (FCTC), to which Botswana is a signatory.

Bontle Mbongwe of ATN decried that though there is a high political commitment on tobacco control, more has to be done as the country is a fertile ground for tobacco smuggling and the commodity is increasingly becoming easy to access by minors.

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• Botswana gets anti-tobacco network 

The Botswana Anti-Tobacco Network (ATN) was launched yesterday on the eve of the World No Tobacco Day.

Minister of Presidential Affairs and Public Administration and ATN founding patron, Mokgweetsi Masisi said that he was compelled to support the movement by the fact that tobacco and poverty are closely interlinked. He said it is a sad reality that tobacco use tends to be higher among the poor.

"In case of the poorest households, where a significant portion of the income is spent on food, expenditure on tobacco can mean the difference between an adequate diet and malnutrition," he said.

Masisi said the ATN seeks the full implementation of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) and the enforcement of the Control of Smoking Act; which covers a ban on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship. He concurred with ATN's concerns over lack of enforcement of tobacco control legislation in the country.

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Anti Tobacco Network finally registered  

THE Anti Tobacco Network (ATN) was formally registered last week as a society. It aims to create an enabling environment in which tobacco control activists and other stakeholders can work together to make a lasting impact to control and reduce tobacco use in Botswana.

The main objective of the non-profit organisation is to develop strategies and activities that will reduce tobacco consumption and to protect the public from tobacco smoke and its related consequences.

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• Tobacco levy to address public smoking, advertising 

A tobacco levy expected to address public smoking and advertising is in the offing says the Minister of Health Reverend Dr John Seakgosing in his budget proposal speech.

He said his ministry has been working on 'the repeal of the Control of Smoking Act of 1992 and the 2004 amendment.'

Seakgosing said that his ministry has proposed a tobacco control act that will address current problems such as easy accessibility, public smoking, advertising as well as other requirements of the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control that Botswana ratified in 2005.

He said that through the act, a levy would be introduced to address the harm to public health that results from tobacco use.

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Over 30m die from NCDs annually 

The nation has been urged to reduce the shared risk factors of tobacco use, unhealthy diet, lack of physical exercise and excessive alcohol consumption, to curb the proliferation of Non-Communicable Diseases.

Speaking at the 4th University of Botswana Health Fair held at the Main Mall in Gaborone last Friday, the Botswana representative of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr Eugene Nyarko, warned that NCDs - which include cardiovascular diseases like heart attack and chronic respiratory diseases - were threatening to have a double impact in Africa, compared to the current battle with HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis.

"Elimination of these risk factors will help reduce the effect of NCDs," he said.The event, which was themed, "Walk To Slow Down Non-Communicable Diseases", was a collaboration between the UB Environmental Health Department and the Botswana Heart Foundation and the Cancer Association of Botswana.

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• School boy smoking:a cause for concern! 

The appearance of smoking schoolboys in their uniforms is slowly becoming a common sight in our society.

This disturbing sight continues to taint the social environment as more and more boys are drowning in this pool of smoking culture.

For Khabo Phineas, "This sorry sight and epidemic is not helped by the fact that the society seems not to treat it as a social problem as opposed to smoking of other substance like marijuana. The boy child needs to be empowered to deal with this new scourge that seems to be swallowing all of them. It is very disturbing for our society to appear to be grooming future generation of perennial smokers".

She is concerned by the fact that these boys are no longer afraid of elders. . . .

Resego, as he prefers to be identified, is calling for a law that will criminalise the selling of cigarettes to school-going children.

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UB lecturer calls for punitive tobacco levy 

A University of Botswana (UB) lecturer has urged government to introduce punitive fiscal measures to control tobacco consumption and its harmful effects.

Bontle Mbongwe of the Faculty of Health Sciences said yesterday that government should hike tobacco prices and tax to curb consumption. She said the move is in line with the requirements of Article Six of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). The article recognises that price and tax measures are an effective and important means of reducing tobacco consumption by various segments of the population, in particular young persons. . . .

She was briefing the media yesterday on the just ended fourth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP4) held in Uruguay almost a week back.

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• Tobacco use on the increase despite health risks 

In the good old days it was taboo to smoke in front of an elder. These days it is not surprising to find a youth asking for a lighter or even sharing a cigarette with someone old enough to be their grandparent.

Botswana is seeing a significant increase in the use of tobacco products. This has led to an increase in the prevalence of non communicable diseases, which were predominantly observed in developed countries. . . .

According to the Republic of Botswana Tobacco Control Situational Analysis Report of April 2010, cancer and other chronic diseases are on the increase.

Statistics from the Ministry of Health indicate that cancer cases have been growing from just under 800 cases in 1999 to 12 115 at the beginning of 2010.

These statistics are in keeping with the trends in other developing countries and are for the most part contributed to by increasing use of tobacco products.

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• Smokers unfazed by dangers of habit 

Most cigarette packs have bold warnings written on them such as: "DANGER: SMOKING CAUSES LUNG DISEASE" or "SMOKING IS A HEALTH HAZARD". Some warnings even go into detail, revealing that tobacco smoke contains many harmful chemicals such as carbon monoxide, cyanide, nicotine and tar, which can cause diseases and deaths, and that non-smokers and ex-smokers on average, live longer and healthier than smokers.

In spite of all these, people continue to puff away at cigarettes. In fact, it has been revealed that the number of cigarette smokers all over the world has not dropped considerably in recent years. . . .

Smoking is said to be one of the major causes of death in the modern world. This is attributed to the growing consumers of tobacco. It is because of this fact that the government of Botswana now considers cigarette smoking a public health priority.

Lately, Environmental Health Lecturer at the University of Botswana, Bontle Mbongwe indicated that although Botswana is not a tobacco grower, there are several types of tobacco products imported into Botswana. . . .

Smokers are also advised that to quit smoking may take more than one attempt. They must also try several methods before they can finally succeed. Smoking is said to be a stubborn habit because it is closely tied to the acts in the course of people's everyday lives. People trying to quit are also advised to stay away from people who smoke.

Even so, with determination, will power, and a strategy, to quit smoking is not out of the question.

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• Workshop Identifies Hindrances To Tobacco Control 

A recent consultative workshop on tobacco control in Botswana has identified the absence of advocacy by the media and NGOs as key impediments.

The workshop followed a situational analysis report by Bontle Mbongwe of the University of Botswana's Department of Environmental Health.

Vigorous marketing by the massive tobacco industry is also to blame for engaging in a brutal war against government efforts to control smoking through the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).

However, Mbongwe also slammed the government for not prioritising tobacco control, hence the need for advocacy by the media and NGOs.

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• MoH to repeal the Control of Smoking Act 1992  

The Ministry of Health together with University of Botswana(UB) Department of Environmental Health and other non-governmental institutions have proposed that the Government should repeal the control of smoking Act of 1992 and develop the Tobacco Products Bill.

Speaking at a workshop for Tobacco Control Awareness held at Cresta President Hotel, Gaesi Mophuting from the Department of Public Health said “The new law is being developed so that it is aligned to the principles of the framework convention on tobacco control (FCTC).”

The FCTC is an international law that is meant to facilitate measures to reduce supply of tobacco products and reduce demand for the products with an objective to protecting Public Health from the harm associated with the use of the products.

The proposed Bill intends to introduce a complete ban of smoking in public places and also completely ban advertising, marketing and promotion of tobacco and related products.

In an interview with the Gazette, Chengetani Kangangwani from the Ministry of Health said the control of smoking Act 1992 has been overtaken by events and does not cover the provisions the Framework of Convention of Tobacco Control, adding that it, as a result has necessitated the need to repeal the Act to align it with the FCTC requirements and expectations.

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WHO representative praises Botswana 

LOBATSE - The World Health Organisation (WHO) country representative has congratulated Botswana for being among the first group of countries to sign and ratify the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

Dr Eugene Nyarko said the ratification will help to reduce tobacco use and improve the health of people.

Botswana is one of the first 170 countries which signed and ratified the convention to ban tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship.

In a keynote address at the World No Tobacco Day Commemoration, Dr Nyarko commended Botswana for the progress she is making towards achieving the ideals of the convention and its consistency in reporting regularly on the implementation of the convention.

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