Nation Marks World No-Tobacco Day
(ENA) Ethiopia marked the 29th World No-Tobacco Day on Monday, whose theme is “Commit to quitting”.
World No-Tobacco Day 2021 was nationally commemorated today in Addis Ababa in the presence of Minister of Health Dr. Lia Tadesse.
The Minister of Health in her remark reiterated that the Government of Ethiopia is committed to fight the use of tobacco which in all its forms damage the health of citizens.
Tobacco affects people’s health, environment, causing socio-economic crisis and exposes users to COVID-19 related severe illness and deaths, she said.
She sadly noted that more than 29 percent of Ethiopians are exposed to passive smokers. The Minister appealed to the media to publicize facts on the risk of tobacco use in a bid to save citizens especially the youth.
Global Adult Tobacco Survey conducted over 16 years old people and published in 2016 revealed that Ethiopia’s 3.4 million adults use tobacco products and 6.5 million people are exposed to secondhand smoke.
Ethiopia ratified World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in 2014 and approved anti-tobacco law few years ago.
Ethiopian Food and Drug Administration Director-General, Heran Gerba noted that Ethiopia has approved strong anti-tobacco laws to prevent and control tobacco harms to the people.
The ratification of WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control by Ethiopia will be vital legislative springboard for tobacco control across the country, she pointed out.
Heran called up on regional governments and other stakeholders to take appropriate intervention to curtail the risk of death from smoking tobacco.
The World No-Tobacco Day celebrated for the 34th time globally.
Source: Ethiopia News Agency