By Ibrahim Sorie Koroma
Senior Health Education Officer –HEP/MoH
Following the enactment of the Tobacco and Nicotine Act in 2022, the Director at the Directorate of Non-communicable Diseases and Mental Health in the Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Dr. Santigie Sesay has said that public smoking is now banned in every part of Sierra Leone, making it unlawful in public places and liable to fines and imprisonment, or both.
Dr. Santigie Sesay reiterated that the goal is to protect the public against the harmful effects of tobacco, stating that though tobacco is a legal product, but one’s right to smoke should not put another’s health at risk.
According to Dr. Sesay, tobacco use in Sierra Leone is a major public concern, and constitutes 18% of men and 3% of women aged 15-49 years, despite increased awareness on its harmful effects.
While giving the impact of tobacco smoking, Dr. Sesay noted that tobacco kills half of all its users, emphasizing that tobacco is the leading cause of cancer, chronic lung disease and diabetes, adding that it it’s a motivating factor for infertility , miscarriage, bad breath and high blood pressure. “Globally, tobacco causes over 2 million deaths from cardiovascular diseases each year and 1 in 10- heart disease deaths are linked to it while second-hand smoking accounts for 900 thousand premature deaths each year,” he noted.
“The tobacco and nicotine Act is part of a broader strategy to regulate tobacco in the country thereby protecting the public to the risks and exposure to tobacco, including minors, non-smokers as well as pregnant women,” he said, adding “we are not trying to get people jailed, but to ensure public health and safety for all and the country stands to accrued billions of Leones from tobacco taxation alone.”
Talking on the popularization of the tobacco and nicotine Act, Dr. Sesaysaid that they are in the process of setting the Tobacco and Nicotine Control Council which will drive the popularization of the Act in collaboration with stakeholders at all levels.
The NCD Director concluded by calling all stakeholders for a concerted efforts to promote the risks and harmful effects of tobacco consumption as well as the Tobacco and Nicotine Act through awareness raising at every level.
