This Friday, May 31, the international community is celebrating World No Tobacco Day, a crucial opportunity to raise awareness of the devastating impact of tobacco on health. This year, attention is particularly focused on the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the director general of the National Program for the Fight against Drug Addiction and Toxic Substances (PNLCT) has drawn up an alarming assessment of the current situation.
The figures speak for themselves and raise a real urgency: more than 324,000 children aged 13 to 15 consume tobacco every day in the DRC, which represents a worrying rate of 33.6%. Among them, 28.9% use other tobacco products such as hookah, and 8.2% smoke cigarettes regularly. These statistics highlight the scale of the problem and the need to act quickly to protect the health of future generations.
The interference of the tobacco industry in the DRC is singled out, with advertising, sponsorship and promotion practices directly targeting young people and adolescents. This worrying situation has led the PNLCT to call on the government to strengthen the legislation in force, in particular by popularizing the law which prohibits the advertising and promotion of tobacco. It is imperative to raise public awareness of the dangers of smoking and to put in place concrete measures to limit young people’s access to tobacco products.
The fight against smoking also involves concrete actions on the ground, such as monitoring advertising in schools, restricting the exposure of tobacco products near schools, and providing support systems. to help young people quit smoking. Increasing tobacco taxes is also an effective measure to discourage consumption.
As part of World No Tobacco Day 2024, the theme “Protecting children from tobacco industry interference” resonates as a call to action to protect young people from the harms of smoking. There is an urgent need to put in place educational and awareness-raising initiatives to prevent the risks associated with tobacco consumption among young people.
In conclusion, the fight against tobacco in the DRC and throughout the world is a major public health issue which requires collective mobilization and concerted actions. Protecting young people from attempts at interference by the tobacco industry is essential to guarantee a healthier and more promising future for all.