Opinion: Is Malawi doing enough on tobacco harm reduction?
In this article, David Kamwela, a student at Malawi College of Health Science, looks at the harm tobacco smoking is exerting on our society and explores ways on how to limit the harm
We know how tobacco, an essential agriculture product on which the entire country economically depend on is reducing the levels of morbidity and mortality from tobacco use among smokers.
They are a lot of people in Malawi who are already facing the brunt of tobacco smoking as a result citizen are getting affected by tobacco caused diseases such as cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease {COPD}and green tobacco sickness which is an occupational poisoning that can affect workers who cultivate and harvest tobacco.
Even though we have been taught about the dangers of tobacco smoking since the early years of our lives. Yet the contribution from everyone is not as significant as it should be including the cigarette manufacturing company.
Prevalence of smoking in Malawi above the age of 15 is around 10.80% as determined in 2020 with a 0.5% decline from 2019 and having 4.1 % smoking prevalence among adult women and 17.5 % respectively for adults’ men.
Tobacco contains an element known as nicotine that creates an immediate sense of relaxation so people smoke in believe it reduces stress and anxiety. The feeling is temporary and gives way to withdraw symptoms and increasing cravings. Smoking reduces withdraw symptoms but does not reduce anxiety.
Furthermore, peer pressure also plays a major role in becoming a smoker in order to fit in with the social group. This has pushed the country to a dire strait on provision of health services due to increase in patients with smoking caused diseases putting a lot of lives on a line and pressure on medical resources especially healthy budget on treatment of tobacco caused diseases.
As a citizen, it’s our fundamental responsibility to supplement the efforts of our governments and organization with our actions keeping in mind our actions are our future. Civic educating the citizens on the dangers of tobacco smoking is of crucial importance to tobacco harm reduction, increasing the levels of awareness among citizens.
Encouraging the use of less contained nicotine products with zero tar [electronic cigarette, nicotine gum and nicotine patch], increasing excise and custom tax on tobacco products leaving us with high cost and reducing consumption while at the same time providing substantial revenue to fund important health, as well as tobacco harm reduction programs.
Smoking free policy that prohibit smoking in indoor spaces and designated public areas preventing exposure to second hand smoke known as involuntary smoking and because of its carcinogenic content there is no safe level of exposure. To every problem, there is a solution and here, it is “we”, in order to bring out the change, our actions need to be changed.
