Implement strong policies, regulation to reduce tobacco use in Ghana - MATCOH

The Chairperson of the Media Alliance in Tobacco Control and Health, Jeorge Wilson Kingson, is advocating for strong policies, regulations and initiatives aimed at drastically reducing the use of tobacco and its related substances in Ghana.

According to the Civil Society Organization made up of journalists, the use of tobacco and its related substances continue to pose significant health risks to health and the environment.

In a statement issued to mark ‘World No Tobacco Day’ on May 31, 2023, the CSO noted that tobacco use is the single most important cause of globally-preventable deaths, which can kill one in 10 adults worldwide.

The MATCOH chairperson added that this year’s theme; ‘We need food, not Tobacco,’ aims to create awareness about alternative crop production and marketing opportunities for tobacco farmers, while encouraging them to grow sustainable and nutritious crops.

“It is also aimed at exposing the tobacco industry’s efforts to interfere with attempts to substitute tobacco growing with sustainable crops, thereby contributing to the global food crisis,” Jeorge Kingson said.

The CSO further called on relevant stakeholders to raise awareness on tobacco farming in various communities by educating farmers to move away from tobacco and grow sustainable crops that supports the food security status in Ghana.

“Globally, over 3.5 million hectares of land have been converted into tobacco farms annually with heavy use of pesticides and fertilizers that lead to land degradation. This land therefore cannot support the growth of other crops because tobacco depletes the soil fertility of the land,” the statement stressed.

It continued that, “MATCOH believes that there is an urgent need for African Countries to take legal measures to reduce tobacco growing and help farmers to move into the production of alternative food crops as tobacco growing harms our health, the health of farmers and the planet’s health.”

In conclusion, the CSO called on governments to make a pledge to use legislation to reduce the growing of tobacco to the barest minimum, as well as support farmers with necessary subsidies and agricultural inputs to grow more sustainable crops to safeguard the food security of the continent.

The World Health Organization (WHO) celebrates World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) which highlights the health and other risks associated with tobacco use. It also advocates for effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption.

MA/AE