Ouagadougou:Tobacco is responsible for approximately 3,286 deaths per year in Burkina Faso, accounting for 2.9% of all deaths, according to data from Tobacco Atlas.

According to Burkina Information Agency, Adama Zango, coordinator of the Project for Strengthening Institutional Capacities of the Association Against Tobacco (PRECI-ACONTA), shared these statistics at a workshop aimed at raising awareness about the increase in tobacco and drug use, especially among young people.

The data presented also revealed that Burkina Faso has nearly 1.24 million adult smokers, with a smoking prevalence of 3.71% among children aged 10 to 14. Zango emphasized the importance of protecting lives, families, and human capital, urging enhanced prevention and awareness campaigns targeting youth.

Burkina Faso has made notable progress in protecting public policies from tobacco industry interference, as highlighted by the 2025 Tobacco Industry Interference Index report. The country ranks 8th globally out of 100 assessed countries and 3rd in Africa out of 20 countries, improving its score from 42 out of 100 in 2023 to 39 in 2025. Zango advocated for the adoption of a revised tobacco control law and measures to prevent industry interference in public health policies.

Participants, including Fidle Bilgo from the Ministry of Basic Education, stressed the importance of strengthening awareness campaigns in educational settings. Bilgo called for collaboration between ACONTA and organizations responsible for sports, cultural, and recreational activities in schools to integrate prevention messages during large gatherings of young people.

The workshop concluded with stakeholders from various sectors developing recommendations and defining priority actions to strengthen prevention and protection efforts for youth against tobacco and drug use.