Irene Morikang
2 June 2003
Urbain Olanguena Awono made the call on the occasion of the 16th World No Tobacco Day commemorated last Saturday.
Tobacco use has been established as the leading health risk in the world today. It is considered an epidemic as, each year, about five million deaths are attributed to tobacco consuption. In Cameroon, 37 per cent of the population is said to be exposed to the risk of tobacco use. The commemoration of the 16th world no tobacco day last Saturday under the theme "Tobacco free films, tobacco free fashion: action", provided another occasion for health officials to sensitise the public on the dangers of tobacco consumption and exposure to tobacco smoke. "Be vigilant and abstain from being fooled by false publicity because tobacco kills" , the Minister of Public Health warned Cameroonians at a briefing he granted the press on the eve of the celebration.
From all indication, there was reason to celebrate. The 16th world no tobacco day came at the heals of an international mobilisation against tobacco consumption. Some 192 countries that attended the 56th general assembly of the World Health Organisation that held a forth night ago in Geneva, adopted a framework convention on tobacco control which seeks to protect present and future generations from the dangers of tobacco use through the regulation of its marketing and publicity. According to the Minister of Public Health, Urbain Olanguena Awono Cameroon will sign the convention which, by the end of this year, will be proposed to parliament for examination in view of its ratification.
Meanwhile, a national plan of action for tobacco control will soon be elaborated. The basis for national legislation were laid in May 2002 during a meeting organised by the Ministry of Public Health. The legislation will define the norms and regulation for tobacco control. It will also address issues such as tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship; information and communication for raising of public awareness; reduction of tobacco dependence; packaging and labelling tobacco products; protection from exposure to tobacco smoke and price and tax measures to reduce demand.
While waiting for this legislation, the Minister of Public Health is already taking coercive actions to protect the public from tobacco smoke intoxication. He has declared the Ministry of Public Health a smoke free public place and enjoined other custodians of public places such as hotels, restaurants and ministries to do same in their respective structures. Other concrete measures that have been taken by government to deter smoking include the signing of a decision in November 1988 by the Minister of Public Health forbidding smoking in hospitals, the signing of an order institutionalising the inscription of the label "Tobacco is dangerous to your health" on all cigarette packages and the adhesion, in October 1995, of Cameroon to the multilateral accord banning smoking on international flights, among others.
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