Tobacco products are one of the biggest public health threats and nearly 80% of consumers live in low- and middle-income countries. Tobacco use is estimated to be responsible for 10% of adult deaths worldwide and 3% in the African Region.

Tobacco companies target these countries and encourage people living in poverty to pick up the habit. This is true for Kanta, who comes from a poor family and started working at the age of 13. “With friends at work, I took my first cigarette. We used to share one cigarette among three friends, and slowly it increased to five sticks, but still sharing puffs”, described Kanta.

Tobacco harms nearly every organ of the body and causes many diseases. The diseases most often seen include heart attacks, strokes, cancer, and chronic lung conditions. As there is a lag of several years between when people start using tobacco and when their health suffers, many people do not see the effects of tobacco until the damage is done.

“I tried to stop a few times, once for a period of one month, then again, for a period of three months, but I could not resist the influence of friends. I gradually increased the number of sticks to 30. After many years of smoking I started feeling breathless and experienced other breathing problems”, Kanta added.

Tobacco users commonly think smoking will help relieve feelings of stress and disregard its devastating effects. Vijay, a 46 year old ECG technician was not aware of the ill-effects of tobacco. “I started smoking at the age of 17 after I lost my father. Life was stressful so I started smoking to get some sort of relief. I started with four to five sticks and when I started working I increased it to 40-50 cigarettes per day”, Vijay described. 

Any use of tobacco deprives families of income and causes persistent poverty. “I didn’t pay much attention until my children were born but I started having a “guilt feeling”, because the money I spent on cigarettes was not going to my family, but I could not stop,” said Vijay.

To help people like Kanta and Vijay quit smoking, WHO and the Smoking Cessation Programme of the Ministry of Health & Quality of Life in Mauritius developed innovative tobacco cessation guidelines, established eight smoking cessation clinics and offered an “Infoline” to assist smokers in kicking the habit.

Kanta and Vijay both started the Smoking Cessation Programme and received psychological & medical support to quit smoking. “I followed the treatment for 10 weeks and was very regular with my appointments. I did not feel any “crave”. I must say that I am very happy now. I can perform my jogging effortlessly. Financially, I am better-off”, described Kanta.

“I decreased the number of cigarettes to five sticks and stopped completely in five weeks. I continued the treatment for eight weeks in total. While following treatment, the “cravings” were there but I had made up my mind “No more cigarette ever again”. I used to spend some Rs 7000 – Rs 8000 (Approximately US$ 235 – 250) monthly to buy cigarettes and I have a huge sense of self-satisfaction as I am now using this money to pay tuition fees for my children”, Vijay added.

While commendable progress has been made in Mauritius, countries throughout the African Region can strengthen tobacco regulation policy and implement highly-effective cessation programmes that provide assistance to users who do not understand the specific health risks of tobacco and want to quit.