05 Jun 2014

Representative of World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr Felicitas Zawaira has called on countries to raise taxes on tobacco in order to reduce demand for and consumption of tobacco products.

Speaking at the commemoration of World no Tobacco day at Kang in Kgalagadi District recently, Dr Zawaira said the raise on tobacco taxes would encourage tobacco users to stop using and prevent those that were tempted to start, to refrain, resulting in a reduction in tobacco related illness and death. 

Dr Zawaira further said smoking around other people exposed them to the same dangers as the smoker. “Every six seconds someone dies from tobacco use, tobacco kills up to half of its users.  It also incurs considerable costs for families and governments for treating tobacco related diseases like cancer and heart disease,” she said.

She added that the tobacco industry would always dismiss government’s anti -tobacco campaigns to protect their profits. She said government could raise revenue through tobacco tax and in turn support health promoting activities.

Dr Zawaira stated that WHO estimated that 50 per cent increase of tobacco tax would reduce the number of smokers by 49 million within the next three years as countries such as France and Philippines have already seen the benefits of imposing high taxes on tobacco.

She applauded the government of Botswana on the recently introduced tobacco levy and up-coming tobacco control law.  ENDS