Molao encourages smokers to quit
Lesedi Mkhutshwa | Tuesday June 6, 2017 17:02
The Assistant Minister of Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology said this during the World No Tobacco Day commemoration, which was held at the main Kgotla here under the theme, ‘Tobacco a threat to development’.
Molao said that smoking tobacco substances in public spaces, a common practice in modern society, is very harmful to human beings’ health as it affects both smokers and non-smokers.
Molao said that people continue to ignore warnings carried in cigarette packages that clearly state that cigarette smoking is dangerous. He encouraged smokers to quit smoking.
He indicated that non-smokers inhaled second-hand smoking called mainstream smoke, circulating in the air, which could lead to diseases such as tuberculosis (TB), lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
He cautioned pregnant women against smoking as it has potential to affect unborn baby’s growth and increase the chances of miscarriage and stillbirth. He urged the community to introduce awareness programmes on anti-tobacco usage in schools and public areas.
When giving the objectives of the celebrations, head of Marapong District Health Management Team (DHMT) Chidzani Lakampholi Boy said that the importance of celebrating the day is to raise awareness on the impact of tobacco in their daily lives. She said another reason is to alert people about the results of tobacco, which include lack of developments, poverty, stress and death.
Boy said that if a breadwinner died as a result of smoking, it would negatively impact on the lives of the family members left behind.
She added that it was then upon government to take the responsibility of giving material support to the grieving members of the family.
She said that such a decision would affect the development in the country, as that revenue would be used to support the grieving family.
Boy indicated that tobacco not only impoverishes those who use it as it puts an enormous financial burden on the country by increasing health-care costs.