Realising the globalisation of the tobacco epidemic, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared May 31 of each year, World No Tobacco Day. A day when the international community comes together to inform the public of the dangers of using tobacco, the business of tobacco companies and, what people around the world can do to claim their right to health and healthy living and, to protect future generations. The theme for this year’s World No Tobacco Day is “Stop tobacco industry interference”.
Tobacco remains the largest preventable cause of death on earth, killing almost six million people every year. The epidemic of tobacco-related disease affects all countries around the world, which is why the global community has unified behind the global treaty, the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC). The Treaty enshrines the world’s most effective tobacco control measures and will save 200 million lives by 2050 when fully implemented.
Tobacco industry interference is the single greatest threat to the global tobacco treaty’s lifesaving measures. The Treaty includes a critical provision – Article 5.3 – that states the tobacco industry has an irreconcilable conflict of interest with publ ic health. Article 5.3 is the backbone of the global tobacco treaty and the treaty cannot succeed if industry interference is not rooted out. Tanzania Tobacco Control Forum (TTCF) and partners will join the rest of the world to remember this special day; the event will take place at the public concourse of Julius Nyerere International Airport (JNIA). This venue has been chosen because, in 2007, TTCF and Tanzania Airport Authority (TAA) joined hands to commemorate World No Tobacco Day at JNIA. On that day, TAA declared all its airports “Smoke-free” in an effort to enhance public health; the
declaration was observed immediately.
However, due to tobacco industry interference, JNIA has been turned into a “death trap”. TTCF notes with concern the following developments:
i) Placing of two Camel cigarette kiosks, with different brands of cigarettes at the JNIA public concourse and ashtrays at all corners, allowing people to purchase cigarettes and smoke freely. This situation encourages smoking and also endangers the health of non-smoking airport staff, visitors and passengers. Second hand smoke kills more than 600,000 non-smokers every year globally.
ii) A “smoking table’ has been installed by the entrance of the airport Flamingo restaurant and, tobacco has been include on the food menu!
iii) The public announcement that used to be broadcast before planes landed at JNIA, cautioning passengers not to smoke in the plane and terminal building has been changed; the announcement now cautions passengers not to smoke in planes until they arrive at the smoking area in the terminal building (there is no designated smoking area in the terminal building) To comply to the requirements of the WHO FCTC, TTCF requests that: i) the Camel cigarette kiosks at the public concourse are removed; ii) the smoking table by the entrance of Flamingo restaurant is removed;
iii) the public announcement that used to prohibit disembarking passengers from smoking in the terminal building is re-instated
iv) tobacco is removed from the food menu in the Flamingo restaurant. Let the Julius Nyerere International Airport regains its original glory of being a smoke-free airport.
Finally, TTCF reminds all leaders to observe Article 5.3 of the WHO FCTC and stop embracing the tobacco industry which is an enemy to public health.
Lutgard Kokulinda Kagaruki
Executive Director Tanzania Tobacco Control Forum
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