World No Tobacco Day: tobacco control without a law is illicit to population’s health

“Stop the illicit trade of tobacco products”, this is the theme that the 28^th edition of the World No Tobacco Day is celebrated. In effect, the Cameroon Coalition to Counter Tobacco organized on the 28^th May, 2015 in Yaounde, a day dedicated to the fight against tobacco. During this celebration, the discussions focused on the consequences of illicit trade on health, economic and social domains. This in view of an advocacy towards a better tobacco control.

Debate panel

In Cameroon, government measures are existing to overcome this problem as recalled by the representative of the Minister of Public health. But for C3T, these measures are becoming insufficient. In effect, opposition, but equally, in all adoption of an anti-tobacco law, because this will contribute to the efficient fight against this calamity, this is the point of view of all the panelists of the round table debate organized by the C3T on the impact of the illicit trade of tobacco in Cameroon. This debate was Chaired by Aimé Robert Bihina.  The panel was constituted of Mr Pascal Awono (representative of the Minister of Public health), Mrs Koa Alima Beyala Jacqueline (representative of the Minister of Trade), Dr Léonard Mbam Mbam (the representative  of the WHO’s  local office representative  in Yaounde), Hon. Vincent de Paul Emah Etoundi (vice president of the parliamentary network against Tobacco(Oxygen), Dr KAMGA OLEN Jean-Pierre ( Medicalpractitioner ) and Dr Flore NDEMBIYEMBE( president of C3T).

I am not the puppet of a cigarette: The laureates are known

The prize handing ceremony on the contest “I am not the puppet of a cigarette” that took place on the 28th May 2015 in Yaounde.

The laureates

There are about forty projects that were subject to a thorough study within this competitions jury. According to Monique Ngo Mayag, the reporter of the jury, “This is the selection of interesting and mature messages that the candidates submitted to the appreciation of the jury”. After 04 hours of deliberations, the laureates are officially known:

§  1st prize: Bessawa Mpondo Léopoldine, form 3 student from Francois-Xavier Vogt College.

§  2^nd prize: Sissako Sonia, form 5 student in Jean Tabi college.

§  3^rd prize: Sokoudjou Ngutchou Linda, form 5 student in Jean Tabi college.

§  The special prize of the jury was awarded to Bassong Elouga Andréa-Morris, a form 1 student for the quality and pertinence of her message.

Organized by the Cameroon Coalition to Counter Tobacco during this year World No Tobacco Day 2015, the contest of the best tobacco prevention message, wish to create a discouraging environment to tobacco and implicate adolescents in the prevention of this scourge amongst youths.

Cameroon: WHO Warns Against Water-Pipe Smoking

© George MBELLA / cameroon-tribune.cm

In several neighbourhoods of the capital city, Yaounde, youth these days are often seen in a growing number of pubs, smoking from tubes connected to an unusual type of designed "jar" containing flavoured tobacco and water.

The new kind of water-pipe smoking, also called Shisha or Hookah, is said to be risk-free according to promoters who have introduced the practice into the country. This cannot be true, for the World Health Organisation (WHO) has for several years now been warning that water-pipe smoking is dangerous to health.

"Contrary to ancient lore and popular belief, the smoke that emerges from a water pipe contains numerous toxicants known to cause lung cancer, heart disease and other diseases," WHO said. In its "advisory note," the UN health agency warned that using water-pipes to consume tobacco, which is commonly mixed with molasses and fruit flavours, usually exposes a person to more smoke over a longer period of time than do cigarettes.