Anti-smoking law: non-compliance with the ban on smoking in public places deplored

KAOLACK – Visiting Kaolack on Saturday July 18, the coordinator of the National Tobacco Control Program (Pnlt), Dr Oumar Bâ, deplored the non-compliance with the ban on smoking in public places.

According to him, “this situation continues to expose many people to passive smoking despite the existence of a law”. He was speaking during a meeting between media actors from Kaolack and the Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene through the Pnt. Mr. Ba called for increased involvement of the Defense and Security Forces (Fds) in the application of anti-tobacco legislation. Facing journalists, he welcomed the drop in advertising for tobacco products. “This means that today a significant number of smokers express the wish to give up tobacco,” underlined the national coordinator of the Pnlt.

To support the latter, he informed that medications intended for smoking cessation could be included in the list of essential medications, in order to facilitate access. Before this meeting with media professionals from Kaolack, the National Tobacco Control Program had already organized similar information sessions for Fds, managers of public places and regional medical authorities. Dr Oumar Ba recalled, during this meeting, that tobacco consumption has declined in Senegal. He said the prevalence rate had fallen from 6% to 4%. These results were presented in Kaolack and in several regions.