06 Jun 2023

An officer of the anti-smoking organisation Anti-Tobacco Network, Mr Thabo Katlholo, has urged businesses and individuals who sell tobacco products to be cognisant of the hazards of tobacco use on people’s health, and instead consider alternative business ventures that promote healthy lifestyles.

Giving a keynote address at the World No Tobacco Day commemoration which was organized by Demma Light Foundation in Moshupa recently, Mr Katlholo said by doing so, vendors and other businesses would help enormously in the fight to ensure a tobacco-free society.

He called on the community to help provide support to those who wish to quit smoking. He said such people should not be judged, rather it should be understood that they are ensnared by a dangerous addiction.

“Together we can make a difference,” said Mr Katlholo. “Let us act together in this battle against tobacco use. Our collective engagement can protect us from the many negative effects of tobacco products and pave the way to a healthier future for us and future generations.”

Mr Katlholo commended government for passing the Tobacco Control Act of 2021. He said this demonstrated government’s unwavering commitment to a healthier and tobacco-free future.

He implored that implementation of the legislation should be expedited, adding that the tobacco industry continued to put lives at risk due to lack of implementation of the Act.

Speaking at the same event, Superintendent David Ramoseki of Moshupa Police noted that prevention of drug abuse requires a comprehensive approach that involves education, prevention programmes and policies that address the causes of such abuse.

He lauded the recent enactment of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act of 2018, which he said would limit the availability of, and access to, harmful habit-forming of drugs. He warned that the Act carries steep penalties. “Alcohol and drugs abuse is a serious public health problem that affects millions of people around the world.,” he said. ENDS