June 5, 2010 (JUBA) — The Ministry of Health of the Government of Southern Sudan has shown serious interest in lobbying the Juba- based parliament to approve an act controlling excessive consumption of tobacco and other drugs.

This came following a recent appeal by the Ministry at the "World No-Tobacco Day" in which citizens were urged to stop tobacco consumption because it is detrimental to health and also drains wealth.

?Dr Olivia Lomoro, the Acting Undersecretary in the ministry said " 5.4 million deaths result from tobacco consumption every year. The occurrence and consequences of these deaths could be allayed if people were made aware of the dangers of smoking".

She added that the ministry has already initiated plans seeking a legal act to control excessive use of Tobacco.

?"The ministry has already started a legal process and is in consultations with a specialized committee at the Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly (SSLA) lobbying a decision to pass the Tobacco Control Act, which among other things, will establish a board to spearhead the control of the use of tobacco across the region," stated Dr. Lomoro to Sudan Tribune from Juba on Saturday.

She explained the dangers of smoking to pregnant women, saying this year’s celebrations focus on encouraging women not to become addicted to tobacco consumption. Magnifying the day’s theme "Don’t be deceived; tobacco kills", she explained that smoking is not fashionable at all, it kills.

?"It will kill your mother, ruin the career of your sister and brother, destroy the lungs of your father and grandfather...and with a false promise, tobacco will make your community very poor”," she decried.

?The World No Tobacco Day is meant to encourage a 24-hour period of abstinence from all forms of tobacco consumption across the globe. The day is intended to draw global attention to the widespread prevalence of tobacco use and to its negative health effects, which currently leads to 5.4 million annual deaths worldwide. The member states of the World Health Organization (WHO) created the "World No Tobacco Day" (WNTD) in 1987.

(ST)