WHO urges ban on public smoking, e- cigarettes

The World Health Organization ( WHO) has enjoined countries to implement and enforce a 100% ban on public smoking and the use of electronic cigarettes (vaping).

In a statement Friday to mark this year’s World No Tobacco Day, WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, said they should also apply excise tax and price measures to reduce tobacco consumption and implement effective measures to communicate health risks through graphic health warnings to populations, including children and youth.

She also  enjoined member states in the African Region to step up their efforts to protect young people from tobacco industry interference.

The WHO regional director said they can do so by ensuring governments honour and abide by their obligations under WHO FCTC Article 5.3 by introducing safeguards to protect tobacco-control policy from tobacco industry interference.

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She said they can also do so by countering tobacco industry tactics through evidence-based arguments and best practices with full involvement of civil society organizations, and raising awareness among the public on the tactics of the tobacco industry, among others.

She enjoined countries to accelerate their implementation of the WHO FCTC with stringent measures on marketing new and emerging tobacco and nicotine products, particularly designed to appeal to youth.

 These include shisha, e-cigarettes (flavored products), nicotine pouches, and others that are aggressively promoted through social media platforms.