back to top

Health expert Clive Bates reveals that smoking kills 8m people annually

Published on:

Share post:

At least eight million people die from smoking annually surpassing obesity, alcohol, road accidents, drug misuse and HIV combined, an international health expert Dr. Clive Bates has disclosed.

Bates has since called upon tobacco-growing countries like Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe to prioritise public health policies in their decision-making processes.

Dr. Bates: Deaths from smoking surpass obesity, alcohol, road accidents, drug misuse and HIV combined
Dr. Bates: Deaths from smoking surpass obesity, alcohol, road accidents, drug misuse and HIV combined

He made the sentiments during an informative session on science and harm.

“Don’t lose sight of the public health agenda,” said Dr. Clive Bates who is the Director of Counterfactual Consulting – an international consulting and advocacy practice focusing on sustainability and public health.

Bates said smoking clogs the arteries and causes heart attacks and strokes. He added that while e-cigarettes are not without health risks, they are likely to be far less harmful than combustible tobacco cigarettes.

In Africa, the expert said South Africa tops on the smoking prevalence (age 15 and over), adding that while there will be a declining prevalence, but increasing population will increase African share.

He further stated that although it is not possible to precisely quantify the long-term health risks associated with e-cigarettes, the available data suggest that they are unlikely to exceed five percent of those associated with smoked tobacco products, and may well be substantially lower than this figure.

“But harms are associated with the delivery system, not the drug,” he said. “People smoke for the nicotine but die from the tar.”

Meanwhile, experts have called upon tobacco-producing countries to balance between economic and public health concerns, stressing that this is key to ensuring that Malawi continues to benefit from tobacco exports without sacrificing the health of its people.

During the same virtual information session on science and harm reduction for African journalists, South African-based advocate for harm reduction and a medical doctor, Dr. Kgosi Letlape, urged Malawian delegates at the FCTC to be vigilant and advocate for public health policies that align with the nation’s needs.

“Malawian delegates at the FCTC need to be vigilant and stand up for public health policies they need and would work in Malawi. Many African countries have the tendency to go with the flow, especially on issues brought to the table by the WHO. They rarely question the WHO. Malawi’s ratification is a good move for it to advocate for Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) strategies that may save its people from nicotine addiction. There are many misconceptions regarding THR but governments need to use scientific evidence and not myths,” said Letlape.[END]


Discover more from Nthanda Times

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Related articles

Ministry embarks on school curricula review

Ministry of Education has disclosed that, through the Malawi Institute of Education (MIE), it has embarked on the process of reviewing school and college curricula and assessment procedures.

Kenya-based Malawians donate to Cyclone Freddy survivors

The Association of Malawians living in Kenya (AMAKE), through Mtunthama Lions Club, has donated assorted items to Tropical Cyclone Freddy victims.

MyBucks  unveils new enhancements for civil servants

One of the commercial banks in the country, MyBucks Banking Corporation has announced new enhancements aimed at improving the banking experience for civil servants.

Gender and Justice Unit equips 40 Trainers of Trainers with GBV prevention skills in Lilongwe

The Gender and Justice Unit (GJU) on Monday conducted a daylong refresher training of trainers (ToTs) with skills for preventing and responding to gender based violence (GBV) and provision of psychosocial support to survivors of various forms of violence in Lilongwe.

Discover more from Nthanda Times

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading