Time to make the difference!
Dear Mr. President and Members of Parliament
Enact The Tobacco Control Bill
Save Zambia from Tobacco
Dear President Hakainde Hichilema
And Dear Members of Parliament,
Sir, as your office is loaded with a multitude of activities and responsibilities, I have sculptured this letter with summarized key points below and a video reading of our main request to you and your office.
Foremostly, I must mention that there has been several letters delivered to your office at State House and to Cabinet Ministers seeking attention and audience on the issue of the Tobacco Control Bill from different ally policy-advocating organizations.
Mr. President, it has been 15 years since Zambia signed the World Health Organization Framework Convention for Tobacco Control (WHO-FCTC). The benefits of enacting the Tobacco Control Bill which emanates from the WHO-FCTC have been highly pronounced and embraced by key leaders and global experts in health, economics, environment, governance, faith, education, health-insurance, politics, agriculture, nutrition and more.
Fake and deceptive claims by profiting perpetrators have been clearly debunked on issues of economic strength, employment creation, managed health risks, and several more claims. Tobacco is deadly in all its forms. It does not offer sustainable jobs especially in the green economy as espoused by your presidency and government.
Tobacco kills 7,000 to 8,000 lives every year while accounting for over K2.8 billion Kwacha annual loses. It is a notorious substance which requires legislative control especially to help protect consumers, mainly children and youths.
Please, consider further the next points on established facts about Tobacco.
Master Chimbala
Here are the facts:
1
TOBACCO KILLS OVER 7,000 ZAMBIANS EVERY YEAR
With no exception, Tobacco ravages the lives of its victims through endless series of financial, emotional, and psycho-social pains among the individuals, their families and communities. In the end, we lose them to death.
2
ZAMBIA LOSES OVER K2.8B ANNUALY DUE TO TOBACCO
Tobacco causes massive loses in various sectors totaling over Two Billion Eight Hundred Thousand Kwacha every year. This continues to cripple and retrogress economic strides in the current and the future dev. prospects.
3
300,000 MORE ZAMBIANS BECOMING SMOKERS BY 2025
The World Health Organization (WHO) warned that Zambia would experience 300,000 new smokers by 2025. This represents hefty health costs, heavy economic loses, depleted production capacity and decreased quality of life.
4
ZAMBIA IS ONE OF THE MOST INTERFERED COUNTRIES
Zambia is currently ranked 72 out of 80 countries participating in the Global Tobacco Industry Interference Index, especially on Benefits to the tobacco industry, Conflict of interest and Preventive measures, plus legislation derailment.
5
TOBACCO CREATES MORE HARM THAN ANY CLAIMED GOOD TO THE ECONOMY
The tobacco industry siphons profits to international shareholders, injures economic growth and government budgets, leaving the Zambian people and the government to contend with the heavy health burden.
6
Green Tobacco Sickness
Green tobacco sickness occurs when nicotine is absorbed through the skin as farmers are handling the uncured tobacco leaves with symptoms including heat exhaustion and pesticide poisoning. Protective clothing may reduce the risks, but with rains, dew, and perspiration farmers remain at risk.
7
tobacco farming Profitability for farmers
Tobacco production is NOT lucrative, especially for small-scale farmers, studies show. Most Tobacco farmers are contract farmers who incur a loss of US$ 286 per acre, compared to independent farmers' profit of US$ 227 per acre.
8
TOBACCO AND CHILD LABOUR
Tobacco farming is labour-intensive. Children are often engaged in Tobacco farming which causes them to miss out on school, thus compromising their education. They are also likely to contract tobacco-related illnesses due to tobacco exposure during farming, harvesting and processing.
9
tobacco causes great harm on the environment
Tobacco harms the environment at every stage of production and consumption, from farming to disposal of the final product. Globally, the tobacco industry is responsible for 84 million tones of greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere, and massive tree-cutting.
10
Deadly affordability of tobacco in Zambia Lures even under-age consumers
Tobacco products are so affordable that young people acquire these products for their daily use. Unfortunately, this also includes tobacco consumption devices. The low prices also cause early initiation of young people into tobacco use.
11
TOBACCO PRODUCTS ARE DANGEROUSLY accessible to children
Research carried out in Zambia shows that children have geographical and purchasing forms of access to Tobacco products. Some Tobacco selling-points are spread around schools, play grounds, communities, markets and streets.
12
TOBACCO PRODUCTS REMAIN DEADLY WHILE MASKED IN many deceptive PACKAGES
Tobacco products are packaged in forms that make the products seem safer but still remain deadly. They are flavoured with enticing aspects but still poisonous. Advertised even with CSR but still kill over 7,000 Zambians yearly.
The Message in Picture
Please, Save Zambia from Tobacco!