Zambia Alliance for Tobacco Control (ZACT) has appealed to the government to consider banning advertisements and selling of Tobacco products near school premises.
ZACT Vice President Aaron Chansa notes that the display of tobacco products at points of sale near schools constitutes, in itself, advertising and promotion of the products to school-going children.
Mr Chansa adds that the government should ban advertising and selling of tobacco products close to school premises if learners are to concentrate without being swayed into deviant behavior of smoking.
He explained that this indiscriminate and careless advertising and selling of tobacco products around and within school premises stimulates impulse buying of the products by learners.
Mr Chansa added that it also gives the impression that it is socially acceptable for tobacco to be consumed by anyone without exception.
He said that both the display and consumption of tobacco products make it very difficult for tobacco consumers to quit taking the said products.
‘’ We urge the Ministry of health and Ministry of Education to immediately put an end to this retrogressive practice. It is bad and ruining children in schools,’’ stressed Mr Chansa.
In order to ensure that points of sale of tobacco products do not have any promotional elements, Zambia as a party to the World health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control should introduce a total ban on any display or sale of the said products including fixed retail outlets and street vendors close to any school.
‘’Even tobacco vending machines should be banned because, by their very presence, they are a means of advertising or promotion under the terms of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC),’’observed Mr. Chansa.
He said that advertising tobacco products may seem relatively harmless, but it has a strong influence on children and adolescents. Scientific evidence shows that tobacco company advertising or promotion influences young people to start using tobacco products.
Those who are exposed to the products advertised find the adverts appealing.
‘’Tobacco advertisements make smoking appear to be the in-thing. The adverts spontaneously increase the children, adolescents and young people’s desire to smoke. This is more reason why the new dawn government must act on this matter with the urgency it deserves,’’ he said.
A Waste of time
Education Education Education
I don’t understand why any sensible human can ingest smoke. This smoking reduces your performance in bed..that is why most of you your women come to us. Lobe