01 Jun 2016

Minister of Health (MoH), Ms Dorcas Makgato, says her ministry is in the process of reviewing and strengthening the anti-tobacco legislation. 

Ms Makgato said this at the World No Tobacco Day commemoration in Ghanzi May 31. 

She explained that the review of legislation was to make it compliant to the principles of the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FTCT). 

She also said the legislation would address some gaps, which the tobacco industry had been using to lure more young people into using tobacco products.

Ms Makgato also indicated that review of the anti-tobacco legislation would include introduction of health warnings on tobacco packages. 

She said government recognised this convention that guided member states on the strategies and protocol that might be used in tobacco control. 

Plain packaging, Minister Makgato said this was one of the significant demand reduction measures that lessened the attractiveness of tobacco products, restricted the use of tobacco packaging as a form of tobacco advertising and promotion. She also said plain packaging limits misleading packaging and labeling increases the effectiveness of health warnings. 

World No Tobacco Day commemoration is a reminder to nations of the negative health effects associated with tobacco smoking. With 4000 chemicals of which 40 has been identified to be cancer-causing, smoking leads to six million deaths each year worldwide including 600 000 of non-smokers being exposed to second hand smoke. Min Makgato therefore said it is with this year’s theme that as government they should take steps to remove the colorful luring packaging on tobacco products to save the nation. 

Meanwhile, WHO Country Representative Dr Martin Ovberedjo commended government of Botswana on the significant strides made to control the use of tobacco. He noted that laws are being tightened around the world to protect public health from the dangers of tobacco and untruths of the tobacco industry. 

However, he said it is comforting that strategies and collective efforts to reduce and limit tobacco use are making a difference in all countries that collect evidence. He said smoking and other forms of tobacco use are declining steadily across the world. 

Dr Ovberedjo indicated that treating tobacco related diseases such as cancer and heart diseases is expensive; explaining that these diseases strike people in their prime leading to reduction in production and incomes also curtailed. He said the damage tobacco does is slow and almost unnoticeable until it is too late to do anything. 

He noted that Botswana has the support of WHO in strengthening the legislative and policy environment, strategic and normative guidance and in fighting the expected industry onslaught. He also acknowledged partnerships of Stop Smoking Support Group, saying only through these partnerships with government and society could the war on tobacco be won and the Global target of reducing the prevalence of tobacco consumption by 30 percent by 2025 realised. Ends