Out of a global population of seven billion people, nearly 3.8 billion people according to the World Health Organization (WHO), is now covered by an effective tobacco control measure.
The number of people now protected by tobacco control measures is growing at a remarkable pace. The progress made on applying measures that reduce the demand for tobacco is a sign of the increasing impact of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which continues to be one of the most rapidly embraced, measurably successful treaties in United Nations history.
The Collective Prevention Services (CPS) of the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development & Labour (MinVSA), is spearheading an initiative of Minister of MinVSA Hon. Cornelius de Weever to implement 100% Smoke Free Schools by 2014.
A number of stakeholders meetings will take place over the coming weeks and months to create awareness about the initiative.
According to the third periodic country-level WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic, 2011 "Warning about the dangers of tobacco," tobacco continues to kill nearly six million people each year, including more than 600,000 non-smokers who die from exposure to tobacco smoke. Up to half of the world’s one billion smokers will eventually die of a tobacco-related disease.
As part of the Minister’s "Get Checked," campaign, the people have the power to change the aforementioned circumstances, and the logical step is creating smoke-free public spaces.
Minister Cornelius de Weever: "A few months ago I asked the public and the businesses in particular to create smoke free areas in their establishments. I want to encourage them to continue doing so.
"Now is the time to step up our awareness and the best place to begin is in our schools. The consequences of smoking are detrimental to our health and this in turn is costly for the treatment and care of patients. I encourage all those who do not smoke to continue not smoking and those who smoke to reduce and/or stop smoking completely," Minister Cornelius de Weever said on Tuesday.
The opening of the stakeholders meeting was done by Dr. Virginia Asin-Oostberg, CPS Head followed by an introduction to the "Tobacco Cessation campaign: 100% Smoke Free Schools by 2014," by Dr. Daphne Illis, Team Coordinator of the aforementioned.
Presentations were done by Minerva Maccow on behalf of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports with respect to the role of education in the campaign.
Tanya Bobo-Lenoci spoke about the Global Youth Tobacco Survey as a monitoring tool for Tobacco Control, and Dr. Adrianna Blanca, Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Technical Officer from Washington DC, presented an expert perspective on Tobacco Control and Tobacco Cessation Programs.
Those in attendance at the stakeholders meeting comprised of government and non-governmental organizations, and health sector representatives.
Persons can reach CPS at the following telephone numbers for further information: 542-3003 or 542-2078.