By ACHADU GABRIEL, Kaduna.
As part of WHO, World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) anniversary, an NGO, Eye Opener Youth and Women Foundation and its Abstinence Club Unit, on Tuesday,, stormed tobacco smoking and sales spots in an advocacy campaign against smoking, with a view to reducing its danger.
The team, in their red half-jacket uniforms, sought to buy-off all available cigarettes in the sales spots and even pay with extra money of the price to reduce smoking and attendant consequences and health hazards.
During the campaign, some tobacco sales and smoking spots located at Cooperative Bank, along Ahmadu Bello Way, Kaduna, people were advised on the grave dangers of tobacco to health.
The groups, led by the founder of the foundation and two times winner of WHO World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) award, Mrs Margret Julius, told the salesmen that tobacco smoking is dangerous to both the smokers and salesmen.
She also said, in an interview that the consequences of the tobacco smoking is so severe on the group and community and economy due to its pollution and health effects among the productive age in the society.
She drew the attention of smokers to the lung and cancer diseases, saying it does not only cause the damage, but also increases chances and worsens the patient’s situation in difficulty in breading.
She said her foundation has been organizing anti tobacco awareness related campaign unique to them in all the various units across the state for this WNTD, with the theme, “Tobacco is a threat to the community”, and has came out on 31st may to round it up.
Responding while they acknowledged the dangers of tobacco smoking, some of them argued that their addiction was as a result of idleness, frustration and joblessness.
They also revealed that politicians contribute.to their indulgence in tobacco smoking and use them as thugs to also cause crisis and later dump them.
Accordingly, they admitted that even if all the packets of cigarettes in their possession are bought over by the group, their distributors would supply them within a short time, adding that the only solution is to closedown the manufacturing companies or ban outrightly, importation into the country by government.
