Health and Child Welfare minister Henry Madzorera has advised against smoking, saying an average of six million people were reportedly dying each year of tobacco-related complications worldwide.
In a speech read on his behalf by Public Works minister Gabuza Joel Gabbuza at the launch of the World No Tobacco Day at Manjolo Secondary School in Binga District last Friday, Madzorera warned that unless people scaled down on smoking, tobacco-related deaths were expected to rise to eight million by 2030.
“Unless we take action now, tobacco will kill up to 8 million people by 2030, of which more than 80% who live in low and middle income countries,” Madzorera said.
The theme for this year’s commemoration was “Tobacco Industry Interference”.
He said tobacco use exposed people to diseases such as cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, cardiovascular condition, tooth decay, hair loss, premature ageing and hearing loss.
“Passive smoking is also dangerous as it causes headaches, nasal discomfort, sneezing, coughing, sore throat, nausea, dizziness, increased heart rate and blood pressure, cancer of the lungs, cervix, breast, stomach and kidneys,” the minister said.
“Pregnant women who smoke or are exposed to second hand smoke may have miscarriages, low birth weight babies or still born babies.
Madzorera said the tobacco industry activities were undermining tobacco control efforts.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
“Therefore ladies and gentleman, there is need for all of us to be aware of the tobacco industry activities to undermine tobacco control efforts. The activities lure you into believing that tobacco is good yet it is not good at all, it destroys your health, it kills you,” he said.
Speaking at the same function, President Robert Mugabe’s Special Health advisor and former Health minister Timothy Stamps described the media advertisements that glorified tobacco smoking as misleading the nation.
