“6 million people die every year from smoking”—CEO, Focus 1000
Reynold Senesie, Quality Control Officer of, the World Health Organization, reiterated that tobacco is responsible for millions of deaths every year and that when COVID-19 struck the majority of the people
In a bid to popularize the punishment entails in the Tobacco and Nicotine Act of 2022 to the general public, the Chief Executive Officer of Focus 1000, Alhaji M.B Bah in collaboration with the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency has informed media practitioners that the passing of the Act by the House of Parliament was a very good step by the government of Sierra Leone to discourage people who are addicted in smoking especially, in public places and that “6 million people die every year from smoking in the world, quit today it will help safe your health”. He made this statement on Friday 19 August at the Country Lodge Hotel, in Freetown.
Emphasizing the bad effect of smoking, the Focus 1000 CEO said eliminating tobacco can protect millions from heart attacks and stroke, disclosing that tobacco causes over 2 million deaths from cardiovascular diseases every day. He said worldwide, 1 in 10 heart disease deaths is linked to tobacco.
“Did you know Cigarette smoke contains more than 4000 chemicals, including hundreds that are toxic, and at least 50 that cause cancer? These chemicals include nicotine, arsenic, ammonia, and carbon monoxide. There is no safe level of exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke. Second-hand smoke inhalation causes 900,000 premature deaths per year, many among children” he explained.
“It is very important to us; Focus 1000 is a non-governmental organization that was founded ten years ago, I work for the UN and I have retired. I came back, I was able to mobilize other colleagues and we decided to form Focus 1000. I mean the name itself Focus 1000; we focus on the first 1000 days of life. That is the foundation of life. We have to pay particular attention to the first 1000 months, which is the period that covers the mothers, the child, and the family, it is a very crucial period when developing in a womb, so always like to remind us especially, when we have a galaxy of distinguishing journalists about the importance of the first 1000 days, please don’t forget it” he said.
Reynold Senesie, Quality Control Officer of, the World Health Organization, reiterated that tobacco is responsible for millions of deaths every year and that when COVID-19 struck the majority of the people have preexisting conditions, which are non-communicable diseases. It just highlights the danger of tobacco. He said since Sierra Leone signed the Frameworks Convention of Tobacco Control 13-yr ago it is only now the country has passed the law and Sierra Leone is now the 38th country that has passed the Frameworks Convention of Tobacco Control.
From the side of the Health Ministry, the Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Public Health, Dr. Alieu Wurie acknowledged the efforts done by Parliament by passing a good number of bills on health that are going to ensure it add good quality of life for the citizens of Sierra Leone of which the Tobacco and Nicotine Act happened to be one of them.
He called on journalists to be proactive in helping to popularize the Act, adding that most deaths of young people nowadays are caused by smoking and so therefore he encouraged the media to discourage young people to abstain from smoking.
Earlier in his opening statement, the President of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), Ahmed Sahid Nasralla reminded pressers that the role of Journalists is to disseminate positive information to the general public, and therefore, he said it was but fitting for Focus 1000 and NDLEA to engage the media to know more about the Tobacco and Nicotine Act of 2022 so they can inform the public about it advantages and disadvantages.
By Mohamed Amara Gando
