146m Africans die yearly from tobacco related diseases – WHO
The World Health Organisation said, no fewer than 146 million Africans die annually from tobacco-related diseases due to the damages it cause in human body.
The WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, said during a virtual press conference, “Tobacco was the leading cause of preventable deaths in the world and smoking damages nearly every organ in the body.
“globally, exposure to secondhand smoke kills more than 1.2 million people yearly.”
According to her, the use of tobacco products other than cigarettes such as vaporizers was on the increase in Africa. One in five adolescents in Africa now used tobacco.
However, quitting tobacco was the way to reduce the risk of developing cancer, heart disease, stroke and other diseases and it can also increase life expectancy.
“Quitting tobacco is hard but today is a good day to start, quit smoking and be a part of the solution.
“Make the decision to live a life controlled by you and not tobacco,” Moeti added.
She explained that it may seem impossible, like smoking isn’t a big deal, not quitting tobacco may end up causing future health problems or worse premature death.
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