AfricaPress-Tanzania: THE Tanzania Non Communicable Diseases Association (TANCDA) has called upon tobacco users to seek medical advice from health professionals, including protecting the health of non-smokers especially children so as to save the country’s manpower from the effects of tobacco.
Speaking recently in Dar es Salaam, TANCDA project Manager, Ms Happy Nchimbi, said tobacco smoke contains more than 400 chemicals of which at least 250 are known to be harmful as 50 of them cause cancer.
Ms Nchimbi said people who use tobacco and even those who are exposed to the smoke are at risk of developing non-communicable diseases like breast, lung, throat, cervix, bone, and skin cancer.
“Half of the long-term tobacco users die from their effects, half of whom are below 70 years of age,” she noted.
“As TANCDA, we have produced many publications to educate the community on the health effects of tobacco use so as to create awareness,” she explained.
Moreover, TANCDA has congratulated the Minister for Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children, Ms Ummy Mwalimu for condemning tobacco use as a health hazard.
The minister’s statement shows how the Government cares for the health of Tanzanians as well as protects their economic and social interests.
Ms Nchimbi made the remarks on June 4, this year while launching the 2018 Tobacco Survey in Adults in Dodoma.
At the launch, the minister noted that Tanzania, like other African countries where tobacco use was rampant, the risk of contracting non-communicable diseases and even stunting the economy was high.
According to her, the other side effects are cardiovascular diseases, stomach ulcers and decaying teeth.
Moreover, Tobacco use for a pregnant mother can lead to miscarriage or birth of a baby with low birth weight, poor health led to sudden death, she said.
A recent World Health Organisation (WHO) report shows that the corona virus was having a major impact on people who use Tobacco.
Ms Nchimbi explained the benefits associated with not using tobacco as including reducing the risk of contracting non-communicable diseases as well as improving blood circulation and access to clean oxygen.
