Get smoke and nicotine free on World No Tobacco Day

jorge polanco

Did you know that tobacco use is the main cause of preventable deaths? Indeed statistics show that at least five million persons die every year from illnesses linked to the use of tobacco.Around the world, activities were held to highlight the harmful effects of using tobacco and to call for abstinence, particularly among women and girls. Locally the Central Health region was declared a smoke free area. News Five’s Delahnie Bain joined the celebration of World No Tobacco Day and has this report.

Delahnie Bain, Reporting

World No Tobacco Day is celebrated globally on May thirty-first, to highlight the risks associated with tobacco use. The activities in Belize started early with an awareness day at the Central Health Region. Dr. Jorge Polanco, the Deputy Director of Health Services in the Ministry of Health says it’s an effort to sensitize the public.

Dr. Jorge Polanco, Deputy Director of Health Services, MOH

“When we speak of tobacco control and the No Tobacco Day, it’s basically within the concept of addressing chronic diseases. You are aware that smoking is responsible for multiple pathologies at the individual level. I’m speaking of lung cancer, oral cancer, gastric cancer, skin problems etcetera. So then the idea is not only to sensitize the population of the effects of tobacco, but to sensitize them that there is a need for them not to start smoking if they have not started.”

Central Health Region partnered with other organizations to provide information on the different health hazards of smoking. The National Drug Abuse Control Council focused on the theme selected by the World Health Organization: “Gender and Tobacco with an emphasis on marketing to women.”

Esner Vellos, Director, Natl Drug Abuse Control Council

esner vellos

“Women, as we know, are the background of the family structure, but at the same time women are also the child bearers. Therefore, women need to know that smoking during pregnancy is bad and it has lethal consequences to their unborn child.”

Ana Reyes, Youth Officer, BFLA

“The information we have is on sexual reproductive health and looking at the risks involved when using tobacco. And then we have some little games as well as health information to distribution.”

Delahnie Bain

“What are some of those risks that you mentioned?”

ana reyes

Ana Reyes

“Some the risks that we mention is contraceptive use along with smoking as well as men’s health primarily looking and low sperm count and so forth with tobacco use.”

When it comes to the damaging effects of smoking, there is always the issue of cancer; so much so that cigarettes are colloquially referred to as ‘cancer sticks’. Laura Longsworth, the president of the Belize Cancer Society, speaks on the more prevalent cases associated with tobacco.

Laura Longsworth, President, Belize Cancer Society

“You know cancer of the cervix in women is one of the leading cancers for women in Belize and so you’re at a higher risk if you smoke. So that one stands out but then it can affect all the other organs as well so the message is making people aware of what’s in nicotine, the effects of nicotine, what’s in cigarettes, that nicotine has a cumulative effect on the body and it’s highly addictive.”

Dr. Rafael Samos, Senior Dental Surgeon

rafael samos

“We have noticed over the past years how several people have come out with teeth being stained, how it relates to tobacco staining. We have people with several pathological effects such as oral cancer that we have been seeing very often. Two of the cases are being displayed on our posters and it goes to show the real effects that tobacco is really doing to the Belizean community.”

And in the spirit of World No Tobacco Day, Central Health Region was officially declared a smoke free zone.

Dr. Jorge Polanco

“The Central Health Region has been proactive and is the first of the four regions that we have in the ministry to declare their compound smoke free. It must be noted that this falls within the overall approach that the ministry of health has in promoting wellness. It’s a matter of having a clean and safe environment and for that of course it’s necessary to institutionalize this policy of the Ministry of Health that all the public health buildings will be smoke free.”

There is one ultimate message behind all the information that was available today and Senior Dental Surgeon, Dr. Rafael Samos puts it in its simplest form.

Dr. Rafael Samos

“The best advice I would give is if you have not started don’t start and if you have started, stop now. You will not regret it.”

Delahnie Bain for News Five.