Ignatius Ssuuna
1 June 2007
Kigali — An official in the Ministry of Health has called on the government to ban tobacco growing, saying it would reduce the health risks associated with the crop. Dr Bonaventure Nzeyimana, an official in charge of health care and tobacco control in the Health Ministry said yesterday that the government should devise means of introducing alternative health-friendly crops.
"When you calculate very well, the risks from smoking outweigh revenues accrued from the tobacco business in form of taxes," he said.
Nzeyimana was speaking yesterday at Iwacu Kabusunzu Centre during the occasion to mark the International Day against Smoking.
The officials said that the money government gets from tobacco dealers is spent on treating victims of smoking.
Established in 1975, Tabarwanda - a cigarette producing company - is among the country's leading tax payers, and among top private employers.
Dr Nzeyimana also said that about 50 percent of people who die as a result of tobacco are passive smokers.
"Therefore, passive smokers are at risk too. It's not only direct smokers who are going to die after all," he said.
He said that government authorities should take drastic steps in view of stopping tobacco growing and banning smoking in public places to save Rwandans.
He said that the health ministry had launched a campaign to fight against smoking. This year's anti-smoking slogan is "No Smoking in Public Places".
Various schools, universities and health centres have in the past played a vital role in the campaign against smoking.
Ministry authorities hope that by launching a vigorous anti-smoking campaign, younger smokers, who are reported to be on the increase, will be discouraged from smoking.
"We received a lot of complaints from people about smoking at social places and they called on us to put in place a regulation that will address their concerns," Nzeyimana said.
Article 81 of the Environment Law prohibits smoking in public places.
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