Put your lights out for World No Tobacco Day

Tyronne Chimilio

Statistics show that over thirty-five percent of deaths in Belize are attributed to tobacco and use of the substance also ranks high among the youth population. These statistics have since moved the Ministry of Health and the National Drug Abuse Control Council on an intense anti-tobacco initiative, the Belize Youth Advocacy for Smoke Free Schools. Today was observed as ‘World No Tobacco Day’ under the theme, tobacco industry interference. NDACC focused their campaign on the serious threat to public health and the need for increasing educational awareness among students.

Tyronne Chimilio, National District Coordinator, Belize NDACC

“What we are doing now is to go more into private institutions and implementing smoke free spaces. In regards of ‘World No Tobacco Day’ which is celebrated on May thirty-first every year, as you know, tobacco is responsible for the leading preventable deaths and is responsible for five million deaths per year; so that is very huge. What we do is that we have activities going into the schools doing presentations as well as using edutainment; it is a process of having entertainment as well with information where we educate students in preventing them from taking a smoke as well as high risk behaviors as well as to address issues such as domestic violence and HIV. The industry is pushing their agenda but the health risks are so high so we have to be cognizant of the fact that we have to encourage smokers not to smoke and as well as not to encourage second hand smoking as well as because that is also dangerous to your health.”

The organization has been employing numerous educational campaigns including poster competitions, health fairs and drug walks. Chimilio says the findings of a survey on tobacco and high school students will be released some time later this year.