Stakeholders Walk To Sensitise Public On Tobacco Smoking

As the world marks “World No Tobacco day” stakeholders in the health sector carried out a walk in the city to sensitise the public to eschew the use of tobacco.
The public walk organised by officials of the Federal Ministry of Health in conjunction with Management Sciences for Health, a non-governmental group, said the sensitisation walk as a continuous awareness on the dangers of tobacco consumption.
The stakeholders urged well meaning Nigerians to join in the fight against intake of the substance which they describe as hazardous.
Head Cardiovascular Disease and Tobacco Control NCDs Division, Department of Public Health, Federal Ministry of Health, Dr. Malau Toma, while outlining the dangers of Tobacco consumption, encouraged Nigerians to grow food in place of Tobacco.
Dr. Toma stated that the Federal Ministry of Health came to Rivers State for the sensitisation, as it is the core mandate of the Ministry to go round the 36 States of the Federation to create awareness on the harmful effects of consuming the substance.
While calling on relevant stakeholders to join hands in the fight against Tobacco consumption, Dr. Toma advised parents to watch activities of their children and wards as the prevalent rate of consumption is high in Nigeria.
On her part, Permanent Secretary Rivers State Ministry of Health, Dr. Utchay Chikanele, while lauding efforts of the Federal Ministry of Health, urged them to focus on the youths as they are migrating from the use of tobacco to hard drugs.
Dr. Chikanele enjoined the Ministry to increase awareness on hard drugs and access the rural areas for adequate sensitisation.
Also speaking, programme coordinator, Management Sciences for Health, Mr. Peter Unekwuojo, said globally tobacco kills over eight million people and over twenty nine thousand people annually in Nigeria.
He explained that the Federal Ministry of Health regularly rolls out programs to disabuse the minds of Nigerians especially the Youths from tobacco intake.
Mr. Unekwuojo noted that the money spent on tobacco related diseases in Nigeria are equivalent to Nigeria’s budget hence the need for the sensitisation.
The walk which started at the State Secretariat in Port Harcourt with the theme “Africa Needs Food Not Tobacco’’ terminated at the Mile one Market.