NAY PYI TAW Council announced yesterday that it would enforce smoking ban and consumption of tobacco products in the council’s area.

The announcement came at a ceremony in Nay Pyi Taw to create more smoking free areas in the capital city after the Nay Pyi Taw Council made a public announcement on smoking and tobacco products control on December 23, 2019.

According to the announcement, the Nay Pyi Taw authorities would enforce its rules on prohibiting smoking at public areas in the city.

“If we can not control the smoking and tobacco products consumption, half of the budget of the Ministry of Health and Sports would have to spend on providing medical services to patients with preventable diseases caused by smoking and tobacco products consumption,” said Union Minister for Health and Sports Dr Myint Htwe in his opening speech at the ceremony.

He also invited the participation of the people in the drive to control the smoking and consumption of tobacco products in efforts to reduce the chronic diseases in the country.

At the ceremony, authorities detailed about the rules and announcement to the public.

The ceremony was also attended by Chairman of the Nay Pyi Taw Council Dr Myo Aung.

Every year, more than 8 million people die from tobacco use, according to WHO data. More than 7 million of those deaths are from direct tobacco use while around 1.2 million are due to non-smokers being exposed to second-hand smoke.

Smoking and consumption of tobacco products kill more than 60,000 people every year in Myanmar.

Myanmar has lost about 3.3 per cent of its GDP due to consumption of tobacco products.

Tobacco products, including cigarettes, can cause at least 16 different cancers of the body including lung cancer, cancers of the mouth, larynx, pharynx, esophagus, bladder, kidney, pancreas, liver, cervix, stomach, colon, and rectum.

According to a survey conducted by the World Health Organization in 2014, the prevalence of risk factors for contracting non-communicable diseases was one for 94 per cent of the people and three to five for about 19.6 per cent of the people.

MNA

(Translated KZL)

PHOTO: MNA

Ref; The Global New Light of Myanmar