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· Tobacco Control
· Editorial
non-USA, by Country
· Gambia
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· WHO: FCTC
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Jump to full article: The Daily Observer (gm), 2007-09-03
Author: Written by D.O Sep 03, 2007 at 10:10 AM
Intro: New thinking is the hallmark of our age. And the threats of tobacco smoking and the burden it superimposes on our health requires a string of reforms to revert the trend.
According to statistics from the African Network for Information and Action Against Drugs and Substance Abuse (RAID) The Gambia, 25,000 Gambians have died of tobacco, with young people constituting the highest percentage. The WHO statistics indicate that at least 5 million people die of tobacco and its related substances each year.
The use of tobacco is the leading preventable killer in most countries, including The Gambia. And deaths from tobacco related cancers: lungs, throat, or bladder cancer is 10 to 15% higher. Unfortunately, even with the best treatment available today, nine out of ten lung cancers are fatal. . . .
Now that a national consultation on this 193-member state evidence-based convention is ongoing, we owe it to ourselves and our children to dispose our energies and wisdom for the successful implementation of the treaty.
The convention present a holistic approach to eradicate tobacco in society, thereby filling the gaps in the Public Smoking Act. We must continue to act with diligence and consistency.
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