One Million Kenyan Kids Hooked on Smoking
Results from a recent Ministry of Health (MOH) poll show at least one million school age children in Kenya are already hooked on cigarettes.
Smoking is a known cause of lung cancer and is directly responsible for five million deaths worldwide each year. Unfortunately, many people find it difficult to stop using tobacco once they have started, especially if they began at a younger age. Statistics from UCCI (a coalition of international groups dedicated to cancer prevention) show that, in some countries, 30 percent of children use addictive tobacco products before age 10. In the MOH survey, 52 percent of people stated they had already unsuccessfully tried to quit smoking. According to one health official,
“There is a dire need of a legal framework to be put in place because the scientific evidence has always been clear that tobacco kills, it is ruining the health of our people and it is bad for our economy.”
Dr James Nyikal
Director of Medical Service, Ministry of Health
Source: The East African Standard (Nairobi)
Related Links: The Times (UK); American Cancer Society
Related Video: PBS Smoking Videos produced by kids
Tag: Africa
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