In an era where lifestyle choices are increasingly scrutinized for their long-term health implications, the conversation surrounding tobacco use remains one of the most critical public health dialogues globally. In an exclusive and illuminating engagement, Mr. Abel Ndego, the Upper East Regional Director of Ghana’s Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), provided a stark, evidence-based dissection of the tobacco epidemic.
This dialogue, far more than a simple interview, serves as a documentary-grade testament for those still ignorant of the profound dangers of tobacco and the robust legal framework designed to combat its scourge. The session, spearheaded by Editor-in-Chief Mr. Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen, transcended basic awareness, delving into the science of addiction, the specifics of Ghana’s legislation, and the nuanced battle against deeply entrenched cultural practices.
Mr. Ndego framed the discussion with sobering global statistics that underscore the urgency of the FDA’s mission. “Over 8 million people die from tobacco use and second-hand smoke globally each year,” he stated, affirming its position as the world’s leading preventable cause of death. This grim tally includes approximately 7 million deaths from direct use and 1.3 million non-smokers succumbing to second-hand smoke exposure, with a disproportionate impact on low- and middle-income nations.
Translated into a daily horror, tobacco claims nearly 22,000 lives every day. These figures are not abstract; they represent a relentless public health emergency that national authorities like the FDA are mandated to address through education, regulation, and enforcement.
A central thrust of the engagement was dispelling myths and revealing the hidden equivalencies in tobacco consumption. With emphatic clarity, Mr. Ndego highlighted one of the most alarming facts: “Going through one hour session of shisha is equivalent to smoking between 100 and 200 sticks of cigarettes.” This revelation often stuns casual users who perceive shisha as a social, filtered, and less harmful alternative. The reality is that a single shisha session delivers a massive dose of toxicants, debunking its benign reputation.
The chemical cocktail within tobacco smoke, Mr. Ndego explained, is a brew of over 3,000 harmful substances. “Formaldehyde, what they used to make formalin for the embalming of dead bodies, is found in there. We have tar… a lot of carcinogens… heavy metals like lead and cadmium.”
These components are directly linked to cancers, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory illnesses, and a host of other dire health consequences. The addictive engine driving this consumption is nicotine, a substance that creates a physiological “hunger,” compelling repeated use and deepening dependency. “There is proof also,” Mr. Ndego added, “that people who have smoked continuously for more than five years are most liable to lose 10 years of their life.”
Beyond education, the FDA’s work is firmly rooted in legislative action. A cornerstone of Ghana’s strategy is the ban on public smoking, a law whose rationale extends beyond the individual smoker. “It’s a crime to smoke in public,” Mr. Ndego asserted.
The science of second-hand smoke is unequivocal: “All the health risks of the smoker, the secondhand smoker is liable to them as well. And so why would I suffer for somebody’s enjoyment?” The definition of a public space is intentionally broad. “Even your private vehicle, as long as you pick a passenger, ceases to be private… You cannot smoke there.”
Enforcement, he clarified, is a shared responsibility. “The beauty of this is that… you can even effect citizen arrests. If somebody is smoking in your environment, you can report the person to the police.” The FDA has complemented this law with extensive stakeholder engagements, distributing “No Smoking” stickers and educating groups like the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) to ensure terminals and vehicles are compliant.
Perhaps less known is the illegality of a common market practice. “It is a crime to sell single sticks of cigarettes to people,” Mr. Ndego declared. This prohibition, under Section 6 of the Public Health Act, is fundamentally about informed consent. A cigarette pack carries mandated pictorial health warnings and graphic images of diseased organs, which communicate the product’s risks. A single stick offers no such warning. “The space on a single stick is so small… it must be sold in the pack so that the health warning can really send a message.” Selling illicit, unregistered cigarettes that lack these warnings altogether is an even more severe contravention.
One of the most sensitive aspects of the FDA’s work involves engaging with cultural institutions. In many regions, including the Upper East, tobacco is woven into traditional rites. “If you want to marry, they will tell you that you have to present tobacco… greeting your in-laws,” Mr. Ndego noted.
The FDA, in a respectful and collaborative manner, has initiated dialogues with the Regional House of Chiefs. “We have been engaging… to see how together they can substitute the tobacco for something else,” such as a symbolic monetary representation. While acknowledging that altering longstanding traditions “takes time,” Mr. Ndego reported a receptive audience attuned to the health and developmental arguments.
Simultaneously, the authority is battling the tobacco industry’s adaptation through technology. The market is now flooded with sleek, discreet nicotine delivery devices. “We have e-cigars… some come in the form of pens… I even saw one that was like a smartwatch,” Mr. Ndego described. These products, often appealing to youth, vaporize nicotine-laced liquids, leveraging technology to perpetuate addiction. The FDA remains vigilant, recognizing that regulation must evolve as quickly as the products it seeks to control.
Ghana’s comprehensive approach extends to stifling the tobacco industry’s influence. “Tobacco companies are not permitted by law to sponsor any event in Ghana. They cannot even donate money to save a life… They cannot brand any products,” Mr. Ndego outlined. This near-total ban on advertising, promotion, and sponsorship is a critical World Health Organization-backed measure to denormalize tobacco use and prevent targeting the youth.
Furthermore, the state employs fiscal policy as a deterrent. Significant fees for product registration, “you would not pay less than, I think, ten to fifteen thousand dollars” per brand, combined with heavy taxes, aim to limit accessibility and generate revenue for public health initiatives. Yet, Mr. Ndego acknowledged the formidable challenge: “The tobacco industry is very powerful… So you can imagine even without advertisement, look at what is going on.”
The engagement with Mr. Abel Ndego ultimately painted a picture of a relentless, multi-front war for public health. It is a war fought with data and dread statistics, with the force of law, through patient cultural negotiation, and against the ingenious marketing and technological advances of a wealthy, resilient industry.
The message is unequivocal: tobacco in all its forms, from traditional cigarettes to flavored shisha and high-tech vapes, poses an existential threat to individual and communal well-being.
The FDA’s role is that of a regulator, educator, and enforcer, but the responsibility for success is collective. It requires media amplification, citizen vigilance in reporting violations, traditional leaders championing healthy alternatives, and individual choices prioritizing long-term health over momentary gratification.
As Mr. Ndego powerfully concluded, the stakes are nothing less than the nation’s future. “The youth is the future. And so if we allow substances of abuse to hold ransom our future, then it means as a nation there’s no hope for us.”
The path forward is clear: sustained collaboration, unwavering enforcement, and continued education to snuff out the tobacco menace and safeguard generations to come. This detailed exposition is not merely informational; it is a vital toolkit for public awareness and a blueprint for action in the ongoing battle for a smoke-free Ghana.
Source: Apexnewsgh.com
