World No-Tobacco Day: CSOs call on government to Protect the environment against tobacco pollution and waste

The Federation of Youth Clubs (FYC), the Institute of Leadership and Development (INSLA) and the Vision for Alternative Development (VALD) are calling on the government of Ghana to protect the environment against tobacco pollution and tobacco related waste. This call falls within the 2022 theme of the World No-Tobacco Day which is being observed in Ghana and globally on 31st May on the theme: Protect the Environment.

‘The FYC, INSLA and VALD who are members of the African Tobacco Control Alliance (ATCA) in Ghana are joining efforts to further contribute to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) 2030 Agenda in Ghana. The FCTC 2030 Ghana will ensure the comprehensive implementation of the FCTC and the Tobacco Control Measures of the Public Health Act 851 to generally protect present and future generations from tobacco use and passive smoking’ stated by Issah Ali; Executive Director of VALD.

Mr Ali further added that smoking being the largest avoidable cause of death and a major noncommunicable disease worldwide. Subsequently, approximately 70% of the 10 million deaths from tobacco-related causes expected by 2030 will occur in developing countries, where epidemic increases in smoking prevalence will inflict major public health impacts throughout the 21st century.

Smoking surveillance and prevention should therefore be high priorities in these countries. Statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO) shows that 600,000,000 trees are chopped down to produce cigarettes, which has led to the recent climate change, 84,000,000. tons of CO2 Emissions released into the air raising global temperatures and 22,000,000,000 tons of water are used to make cigarettes.

As has been the case for the past few years, this year’s Africa campaign is on the theme ‘CLEAN UP’. The “Clean up” campaign is organized by the African Tobacco Control Alliance (ATCA), in collaboration with the Framework Convention Alliance (FCA), African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF), Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Centre for Tobacco Control in Africa (CTCA), Africa Centre for Tobacco Industry Monitoring and Policy Research (ATIM) and Global Center for Good Governance in Tobacco Control (GGTC).

According to Mr Benjamin Anabila of the INSLA; ‘The Public Health Act, 2012 is the primary tobacco control legislation and governs, among other things, smoking in public places; tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship; and tobacco packaging and labeling. The Tobacco Control Regulations, 2016 (L.I. 2247) entered into force on January 4, 2017 and provided 18 months for compliance with public smoking restrictions, among other measures and 18 months for compliance with new picture health warnings from the date the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) issued the new health warnings electronically.’ FYC, INSLA and VALD by this press release are calling on government and the regulator to address pockets of challenges as being used by the tobacco industry to market it product as against the tobacco legislation. Mr Anabila added.

The Executive Director of FYC; Adam Abdul Fatah highlighted that, CSOs have observed that the industry is using the movie industry and well known personalities and celebrities to market and promote their product through movies and telenovelas on television as against the tobacco law and as such we are calling on the Ghana Censorship Board and the regulator to carefully look at the disguise marketing strategy by the tobacco industry and do this clean up in order to
uphold the rule of law in the country.

Secondly, tobacco contribute to climate changes and affect the environment though deforestation and pollution which defeat the attainment of the Sustainable Development goal. It's incumbent on Ghana to be seen as a lead in the fight against tobacco pollution that defeat the attainment of the SDGs considering the facr that, Ghana's President as the Co-chair of the SDGs, FYC, INSLA and VALD are calling on all citizens to be participant and not spectators in the
attainment of the SDGs and the FCTC 2030 Ghana Agenda. We further call on government to implement price and tax measures on tobacco products including shisha to prevent individuals from patronage.

Finally, we urged the Environmental Protection Agency to educate the citizens on harmful effect of tobacco growing, manufacturing and its poisoning of water, soil, beaches and city streets with chemicals, toxic waste, cigarette butts, including microplastics, and e-cigarette waste.

Source: INSLA