PLAN report should awaken Government to sign the FCTC

Smoke Free Malawi, is the project of the Youth Alliance in Social and Economic Development (YASED) which has been established to campaign and highlight the effects of smoking in public health and lobby for the signing of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control of the World Health Organisation.

We wish to register our sincere shock and regret that while it is well known that tobacco fumes exposure is dangerous to human health, there has been clear disregard by Government and the industry to protect innocent Malawians.

The report by PLAN Malawi that Malawian Children in tobacco industry are exposed to nicotine levels equivalent to 50 cigarettes a day should send a clear warning to all Malawians that smoking will soon become a national epidemic.

As we have advanced before, the cost of social, health, economic and environmental damage of tobacco growing are huge than the actual benefits that have been propagated as coming from the industry.

Apart from 500,000 Malawians working in poor conditions in tobacco estates, exposure of young children to nicotine will guarantee a generation of smokers exposed to the risk of having cancer and many other diseases.

The report from PLAN should awaken our Government, specifically the Ministries of Agriculture, Health and those responsible for the welfare of the children.

We appeal to Government to immediately implement the much promised economic diversification programme to save lives of many Malawians that are currently at risk due to exposure to tobacco fumes.

Details of the report can be accessed through: Click here: http://plan-international.org/about-plan/resources/news/child-tobacco-pickers-poisoned-reveals-report to read more from Plan International websiteClick here to download the report: http://plan-international.org/about-plan/resources/publications/protection/hard-work-long-hours-and-little-pay



Further media reports have been aired on BBC Network Africa programme today www.bbc.co.uk/africa and published on www.mg.co.za.

Locally, The Nation www.nationmw.net is carrying the story as the main lead story.


Kondwani Bell Munthali
Acting Coordinator-Smoke Free Malawi

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www.tobaccofreemalawi.blogspot.com
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