Maputo — Mozambique's parliament, the Assembly of the Republic, on Wednesday passed a new Tobacco Law, intended to reduce tobacco consumption and exposure to tobacco smoke.
The approval of the law complements the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), adopted in 2003 and in force since February 2005.
The instrument is a response to the global smoking epidemic and establishes rigorous control measures, aiming to protect present and future generations from the devastating health, social, environmental and economic consequences of tobacco consumption and exposure to second-hand smoke.
According to the Justice Minister, Mateus Saíze, speaking during the presentation of the bill in the Assembly, lung and mouth cancer, congenital malformations, premature births, and sudden infant death syndrome are among the harmful effects of tobacco consumption.
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According to Saíze, tobacco consumption imposes a substantial economic burden. as the country records approximately 11.7 billion meticais (172.3 million US dollars at the current exchange rate) annually in direct and indirect economic losses, corresponding to 1.3 percent of Mozambique's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
The annual economic losses include 900 million meticais in health-related expenses and 10.8 billion meticais in indirect losses due to premature deaths, illness and smoking during working hours.
Smoking prevalence in Mozambique increases with age, rising from 2.8 per cent among those aged 15 to 24 to 16.1 percent among those aged 45 to 64.
"A reduction in forms of tobacco consumption among young adults may lead to a shift towards smokeless tobacco use. However, studies indicate that smokeless tobacco carries health risks equal to, and in some cases greater than, those of smoked tobacco, including cancers of the mouth, tongue, oesophagus and pancreas, as well as gum disease, tooth wear, increased blood pressure, and a higher risk of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases', claims the document.
The minister also said that a 64 per cent reduction in the prevalence of tobacco consumption over 15 years could help save 53,400 lives, around 3,600 annually. In economic terms, it could prevent 35 per cent of the losses expected from tobacco consumption over the next 15 years.
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