Banjul, Wednesday 05 June, 2013 -- The Gambia joined the international community in commemorating World No Tobacco Day on 31 May 2013. The event was launched in the village of Sibanor in the West Coast Region, about 70 km from the capital, Banjul.

The event was attended by people of different walks of life including dignitaries representing various organizations and institutions as well as representatives of the various arms of government, school children and opinion and community leaders from the neighboring villages. What was even more striking about the attendance was the active participation of members of the newly constituted, WHO-initiated Multisectoral Working Group for the prevention of non-communicable diseases and their risk factors.

This working group comprises the ministries of education, finance, trade and employment, foreign af-fairs, tourism and culture, agriculture, health, interior, information and communication, justice, local government, youth and sports and civil society organizations, national nutrition agency and the WHO Country Office.

The event started off with a march past in which school children, voluntary organizations, government institutions and local communities took part.

In launching this important event, the Minister for Health and Social Welfare Hon. Balla Garba Jahumpa expressed gratitude to partners, particularly the multi-sectoral steering committee his ministry has created, for coming together to fight the tobacco menace. In a seemingly passionate mood, Hon. Jahumpa expressed concern about the growing hazards of tobacco globally and nationally, and called on Gambian youth, particularly the youth of Sibanor, to desist from any form of tobacco use.' If tobacco is killing the cream of our society -- the youth - who is going to take care of our development aspirations?’, Honourable Minister posited.

He said that his Ministry is concernned about the growing use of tobacco among adolescents. ‘ it is time that we act now as chlidren aged 13, 14 and 15 years have started smoking and that is detrimental to the development aspirations of country’, he reiterated.

He reiterated government’s commitment to tobacco control and cited some of the significant developments initiated by the government of the Gambia in support of tobacco control such as the 1998 Prohibition of Smoking (Public Places) Act ; the 2003 Ban on Tobacco Advertisment Bill and the ratification by the National Assembly of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in June 2007.

In conclusion, Hon. Minister advised youth to desist from smoking and to concentrate on their education. He also challenged parents and adult smokers to protect the young ones from exposure to tobacco smoke, and appealed to all to ban any form of tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship in the Gambia. He thanked the WHO Country Office for the continued support and guidance to his Ministry in different areas and tobacco in particular.

For her part, the Hon. Minister for Basic and Secondary Education, Fatou Lamin Faye registered her Ministry’s support to tobacco control and called on parents to desist from smoking in front of children and sending them to buy cigarettes. She enumerated some of the initiatives her Ministry has taken in curbing smoking among young people. Through the Life Skills Unit and in collaboration with partners, according to the Honourable Minister, her Ministry was able to launch intensive anti-smoking sensitization campaigns in schools in addition to banning smoking in all its premises.

She said that smoking is generally a lifestyle phenomenon and challenged youths, especially students, to desist from this bad habit. She also appealed to teachers and parents to protect youths and school children from tobacco and its related harms and to break the tobacco marketing nets.

A representative of the Minister of Youth and Sports also echoed similar sentiments.

The WHO Representative. Dr. Thomas Sukwa, highlighted some of the global challenges related to tobacco use, noting in particular the six million people who die every year globally in addition to the 600,000 deaths attributable to exposure to tobacco smoke, otherwise known as passive smoking.

He also revealed that about 63% of all deaths are caused by non communicable diseases (NCDs), with tobacco as the greatest risk factor.

Dr. Sukwa seized the opportunity to remind the audience about the objectives of this year’s World No-Tobacco Day :

- To encourage countries to implement the WHO-FCTC article thirteen (13) and its guidelines to comprehensively ban tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship such that fewer people start and continue to use tobacco;

- To drive local, national and international efforts to counteract tobacco industry efforts to undermine tobacco control.

According to Dr Sukwa, evidence has shown that comprehensive advertising bans lead to reduction in the numbers of people starting and continuing smoking and that banning tobacco advertising and sponsorship is one of the most cost-effective ways to reducing tobacco demand.

He pledged WHO’s continued support to the government’s efforts in tobacco control and renewed WHO’s call for countries to take concrete action and steps to ensure that any form of recommendation or action or commercial communication aimed at promoting tobacco product directly or indirectly is banned.

He also called on the civil society organizations to play a pivotal role in educating and raising awareness of the population on the dangers of tobacco and the need to eliminate tobacco advertising , promotion and sponsorship.

The event was marked by cultural dancing and drama and musical performances portraying the ills of tobacco use. There was a novelty football match later in the evening, which was oraganized by youth in the surrounding districts. Drama performances, singing and dancing on tobacco also continued throughout the day Meanwhile, preceeding the launch, the Honorable Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Hon. Balla Garba Jahumpa, and the World Health Organization Country Representative, Dr Thomas Sukwa, both delivered statements on the Gambia Radio and Television Services, highlighting the significance of the Day.

The Gambia Commemorates World No Tobacco Day 2013

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For more details please contact:

Mr. Momodou Gassama, Health Promotion Officer-9331961 Ext. 30805, Office: 00220 4462283/84/86

Mr. George Williams-Health Information Assistant-9900248 Ext.30808

The WHO Gambia Office, New Kotu Layout P.M.B 170, Banjul, The GAMBIA