Latest update November 27th, 2024 1:00 AM

Guyana's largest selling daily and New York's most popular weekly

Latest News

Tobacco – legal but deadly

May 10, 2009 News

Tobacco is arguably the only legal product in the world that will harm an individual once used as recommended by the manufacturers. This fact was emphasised recently by Eshwar Raghunath who is the Project Coordinator of a Tobacco Control Programme.
This programme is geared at ensuring that a standard for the sale of the nicotine-based product is brought into effect before this year ends.
According to Raghunath whose operation is based at the Guyana Chest Clinic in the Georgetown Public Hospital Compound, efforts are being made to raise awareness of the Tobacco Programme even as World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) (May 31) draws near.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has already selected ‘Tobacco Health warnings’ as the theme for this year’s observance.
And as part of the programme, which has also been introduced in Jamaica, Trinidad and Barbados, the Bureau of Standards of the respective countries will be tasked with implementing regulations as it relates to the addition of picture warning on cigarette packaging.
The programme, Raghunath said came about through a venture called the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco control (FCTC), which represents the first public health treaty in the Caribbean.
The treaty took effect in 2005 and details regulations that countries and Governments need in order to battle the tobacco epidemic, according to Raghunath.
He added that based on surveys that were conducted, the WHO was able to deduce that the use of tobacco is the number one cause of preventable diseases thus the treaty contains a number of articles which address the demand and supply of tobacco, packaging and labelling of tobacco among others areas.
“We have been advocating for 50 per cent of the packages to be covered in health warnings as a method of intervention and as part of the empower strategies which is consistent with the WHO guidelines. WHO has developed an ’empower’ policy that actually gives a blue print of activities and intervention which is aimed towards tobacco control.
The local standard has already been finalised but we are awaiting a final set of images,” Raghunath said.
The Project Officer disclosed that currently the Ministry of Health in Jamaica has responsibility for the images, which are expected here later this month.
He said that it is expected that 24 images, which will highlight the health effects of cigarettes, will be utilised by the Tobacco companies, being Demerara Tobacco Company in the Guyana scenario.
“We will rotate eight images for a period of time that showcase different health warnings… We have re-used images from different countries such as Brazil, Singapore and Thailand that already have the standard in effect…We have been editing and trying to use the images in a Caribbean background.  So far we have about 22 images that have been finalised,” Raghunath said.
Once the images have been secured countrywide consultations will be held to garner suggestions from the public, Raghunath noted even as he expressed optimism that the venture would be well supported given the destructive nature of tobacco.
It is anticipated that the Guyana Tobacco Standard will be passed by Parliament some time later this year and according to him the local Tobacco Company will have a maximum of six months to comply.

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | November, 20th, 2024

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Windies break home Test drought with 201-run win over Bangladesh

Windies break home Test drought with 201-run win over Bangladesh

Nov 27, 2024

  SportsMax – West Indies ended a two-and-a-half-year wait for a Test win on home soil with an emphatic 201-run triumph over Bangladesh in the first Test of their two-match series in...
Read More
President Ali sees sports as ‘centrepiece’ of Guyana’s transformation

President Ali sees sports as ‘centrepiece’ of...

Nov 27, 2024

Amazon Warriors trounce Qalandars in opener

Amazon Warriors trounce Qalandars in opener

Nov 27, 2024

Shepherd excited for IPL journey with RCB

Shepherd excited for IPL journey with RCB

Nov 27, 2024

Romeo Hunter snares Sub-Junior and Open gold and bronze medals at Load The Kilos Classic

Romeo Hunter snares Sub-Junior and Open gold and...

Nov 27, 2024

Rockstone inaugural Street Classic Championship kicks off this Friday 

Rockstone inaugural Street Classic Championship...

Nov 27, 2024

Features/Columnists

Publisher’s Note

Freedom of speech is our core value at Kaieteur News. If the letter/e-mail you sent was not published, and you believe that its contents were not libellous, let us know, please contact us by phone or email.

Feel free to send us your comments and/or criticisms.
Contact: 624-6456; 225-8452; 225-8458; 225-8463; 225-8465; 225-8473 or 225-8491.
Or by Email: [email protected] / [email protected]

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]