WHO: Over 5 Million People Die From Tobacco

Ahead of Family Doctors’ Day, the World Health Organisation (WHO) report has discovered that annually, over five million people die worldwide as a result of tobacco intake .Respondents who took tobacco were affected by lung cancer, heart diseases including heart attacks, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, erectile dysfunction and birth defects.

President of the Association of General and Private Medical Practitioners of Nigeria (AGPMPN), Dr. Frank Omo-Ehijele Odafen, who gave the 2016 theme as: “Smoking Cessation,” disclosed yesterday in Abuja, that many passive smokers such as children were affected by the behaviour of others.

Dr. Frank urged the federal government to put some wholesome laws in place which is expected to protect non- smokers.

He encouraged the government to legislate that every family should have a family doctor.

“Government at all levels should ban smoking in public places.Government should institute high taxation on tobacco products, National Broadcasting Corporation(NBC), should run advertorial on TV/ radio to discourage smoking, government should disallow all commercials advertising or promoting smoking in the media- print and electronic and  government should provide social rehabilitation centres for those willing to give up smoking. Cultural practices that discourage children and youths from embracing smoking should be given more impetus and government should legislate that every family should have a family doctor,” he advised.