Africa-Press – Tanzania. IT has been reported that smoking is as dangerous as Covid-19 pandemic, which is currently ravaging the world.
Approximately eight million people globally die annually from smoking, compared to five million people who have died of Covid-19 since the pandemic emerged.
This was stated in Dar es Salaam on Thursday by Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute (JKCI) Director, Prof Mohamed Janabi during the discussion on the effects of tobacco on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) in the wake of Covid -19.
Prof Janabi said both smoking (tobacco) and Covid-19 affect the respiratory tract (system) and that 25 per cent of the heart diseases are caused by smoking while 80 per cent of cancer-related diseases are also caused by the same malpractice.
He further said the effects of smoking or staying close to a person who smokes, which leads to inhaling the smoke is the same, urging Tanzanians to take all necessary precautionary measures.
On her part, the Tanzania Tobacco Control Association (TTCF) Executive Director, Lutgard Kagaruki, said statistics show that every year 14,700 people die from preventable diseases caused by tobacco in Tanzania.
For More News And Analysis About Tanzania Follow Africa-Press
