A policy brief report by the Vision for Alternative Development – Ghana (VALD-Ghana) Thursday said some research studies have suggested that the use of e-cigarette reverses decades of progress made in tobacco control.
It has, therefore, recommended some measures to be taken by the Government to prevent the product use in Ghana, to protect the lives of the younger population.
The recommendations include the ban on advertisement, promotion and sponsorship activities related to e-cigarettes, vapes, and new tobacco/nicotine products, and promotion of information campaign among young people about the harms associated with e-cigarette use.
“The Government should legislate on the ban of the products in the country,” it stated.
The report said between 5 – 7 per cent of the younger population in Ghana used e-cigarette, and although those had not been licensed commercially, over 100 brands were available on the country’s internet marketplace.
It stated that marketing of the novel products as a less harmful alternative to cigarettes had seen rapid growth in popularity across many countries, including Ghana.
“There is growing evidence to support that smoking e-cigarettes leads to health risks, introduce non-smoking youth to nicotine, and renormalise smoking. The use of novel products as a cessation aid remains inconclusive,” it noted.
“Since any form of tobacco use is addictive and detrimental to health, all forms of tobacco use should be actively discouraged by governments as outlined by the World Health Organisation’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.”
GNA
BM/ABD
4 July 2024
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