As the Ministry of Health observes ‘World No Tobacco Day’ around the country today, it’s fight against the tobacco epidemic will continue.
World No Tobacco Day is meant to encourage a 24-hour period of abstinence from all forms of tobacco consumption across the globe.
Ministry spokesperson, Peni Namotu said the day intends to draw global attention to the widespread prevalence of tobacco use and it’s negative health effects.
“World No Tobacco Day is a programme that started in 1989 and it is an annual event in the ministry’s calendar. The theme for this year’s celebration is ‘Framework for Convention on Tobacco Control’. This is a treaty that was signed and also an effort by the World Health Organisation in curbing the tobacco epidemic in the world,” he said.
He said the consumption of tobacco contributes to 60 per cent of deaths relating to non-communicable diseases.
“With the WHO framework convention on tobacco control, Fiji has fully complied with the requirements of this treaty. We have amended the Tobacco Act 1998 into the Tobacco Control Decree 2010. This is an effort by the Government in not only curbing the tobacco epidemic but also the consumption of tobacco is also related to most non-communicable diseases such as stroke and cancer.”
Mr Namotu said through this decree, Government is also preventing pre-mature deaths which is caused by tobacco consumption.
Meanwhile, some other villages in the country will be declared as Tobacco Free Zones to mark World No Tobacco Day.
“One of the community halls will be declared as tobacco free on the island of Rotuma today. Also, the village of Naqumu in Macuata will be declared as a tobacco free village,” he said.
“Tomorrow will be a celebration in Ba whereby Ba Mission Hospital will be declared as Tobacco Free hospital. There are also villages around the country, for instance, Nabukaluka and Nabila village in Sigatoka that have been declared as tobacco free.”
Mr Namotu said the ministry was in the enforcement phase of the Tobacco Control Decree.
“The registration for the tobacco retailers and vendors will be ending at the end of the year,” he said.
“ We also have public places that have been prohibited for smoking. For the Government, World No Tobacco Day is something that we are doing not only as a celebration but also as a message to the people that Fiji is also in the fight against tobacco epidemic in the world.”