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There is no safe way to smoke – Cancer Association readies to observe World No Tobacco Day

There is no safe way to smoke – Cancer Association readies to observe World No Tobacco Day

The Cancer Association of Namibia (CAN) has reaffirmed their position this World No Tobacco Day, on 31 May and stated that there is no safe way to smoke.

The association has called on the Ministry of Health and Social Services and the government to review the current Tobacco Control Act of 2010 and update legislation to better control the sale and sue of alternative tobacco products such as hookah, water-pipe, shisha and the regulation of vaping devices in public spaces.

“We again publicly ask for clarity on the intended tobacco farm or tobacco plantation in the Zambezi Region of Namibia, because health care is everyone’s concern and this World No Tobacco Day, we ask fellow Namibians to stand in solidarity for better decision making that will benefit the health of future Namibian generations,” CAN CEO Rolf Hansen added.

The Cancer Association has also joined the World Health Organisation (WHO) communications strategy as communicated to health partners globally and for the World No Tobacco Day 2020 global campaign they aim to debunk myths and expose manipulation tactics employed by the tobacco industries.

Their call to action is to prevent another generation to be deceived by the lies of the tobacco industry, which pretends to promote freedom of personal choice while really ensuring eternal profits, regardless of the millions of people that pay with their life each year, Hansen added.

Meanwhile, WHO urges influencers, in pop culture, on social media, in the home, or in the classroom, who reach and connect with youth to expose the industries’ manipulative tactics to create a new generation of tobacco users.


 

About The Author

Mandisa Rasmeni

Mandisa Rasmeni has worked as reporter at the Economist for the past five years, first on the entertainment beat but now focussing more on community, social and health reporting. She is a born writer and she believes education is the greatest equalizer. She received her degree in Journalism at the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) in June 2021. . She is the epitome of perseverance, having started as the newspaper's receptionist in 2013.