The World Health Organisation (WHO) has designated 31 May as ‘World No Tobacco Day.’ The theme this year is ‘Commit to Quit’, which assumes significant importance in the present times of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Department of Health, North West Province MEC, Madoda Sambatha takes this important day to remind the communities of the health risks associated with smoking tobacco products.
“As we commemorate the World No Tobacco Day today, I could like take this opportunity to urge our communities to commit themselves towards quitting smoking especially in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic. As the scientific evidence has pointed out that smokers are at a higher risk of developing serious health complications when contracting the Coronavirus” said MEC Madoda Sambatha
No Tobacco Day or Anti-Tobacco Day is marked on May 31. The day as the name suggests is meant to raise awareness about the adverse effects of smoking. The day created by World Health Organisation (WHO) in 1987, aims to sensitise people about the hazardous diseases that can be caused due to smoking.
According to the Foundation for Free Smoke – World an approximately 7 million people ages 15 and older smoked in 2020. Smokers in South Africa smoke approximately 27 billion cigarettes per year or an average of 3,771 cigarettes per smoker annually.
This commemoration come at the time where the North West province is experiencing a resurgence of Covid-19 infections and the government is urging the communities to guard against the creeping “pandemic fatigue” and strengthen the preventative measures to evade or the severe 3rd wave of infections especially in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda and Ngaka Modiri Molema districts” concluded Sambatha.
All preventative measures must be used to fight the Covid-19 pandemic therefore a decision to stop smoking is highly recommended to reduce numbers of serious health cases which might lead to high hospitalisation rate and threaten the healthcare system. So communities are therefore urged to heed the international call to “Commit to Quit” today.
Media enquiries may be directed to:
Tebogo Lekgethwane
Departmental Spokesperson
Cell: 067 422 7763
E-mail: tlekgethwane@nwpg.gov.za