In move to combat the scourge of tobacco smoke, the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has joined forces with the Ghana Police Service to launch a crackdown on illegal tobacco smoke activities in Eastern Region. This collaborative effort is a major step forward in the fight against the harmful effects of tobacco smoke, which is a significant public health concern in the region and in Ghana as a whole. Mrs.
Anita Owusu-Kuffour, Eastern Regional FDA Head, said “When we see fliers and posters indicating activity of tobacco smoke we join forces with the Police to ensure such activity doesn’t happen.” She was speaking at the World No Tobacco Day commemorated in Koforidua in the Eastern Region, an annual awareness day that takes place on May 31. It is organised to raise awareness about the health risks associated with tobacco use and advocate for effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption worldwide.
The 2024 theme was: “Protecting children from the interference of the tobacco industry.” Tobacco smoke is a serious public health concern, as it contains over 7,000 chemicals, including 70 known carcinogens that can affect various parts of the human body. Mrs.
Owusu-Kuffour said in 2012, Ghana enacted and implemented a national Tobacco Control Act, the Public Health Act 851, which prohibited smoking in all public places, however, the social trend these days was getting out of hands. Notwithstanding, she said the FDA as part of its regulatory activities for licensing of foods.
