It is estimated that 18 percent of adult males in Malawi smoke tobacco, compared to just 1.2 percent of females. However, since there is no national agency focused on tobacco control, exact figures are difficult to determine.
Yes
Malawi is not a signatory to the FCTC, so there is little regulation of tobacco products. Malawi’s Tobacco Act regulates tobacco growing and exportation, but does not contain any restrictions on advertising, smoking in public places, or health warning label requirements. Smoking is allowed in public places, and tobacco advertising, including tobacco sponsorship of sports teams, is allowed. Since many smokers grow and then roll their own tobacco into cigarettes, a tobacco tax has not been an effective way to deter smoking.
Tobacco farming accounts for 81 percent of Malawi’s foreign exchange earnings. So, efforts to end smoking are treated with caution and often tinged with concern about negative economic consequences for the country. Furthermore, there is a lack of public education about smoking and many smokers, especially in rural areas, don’t fully understand smoking’s potential to cause negative health effects.
Malawians have little exposure to or knowledge of alternatives to combustible cigarettes.
“Patients with chronic diseases, I talk with many about the consequences of smoking, and they say, ‘Oh, this cannot be so.’”
Emerging scientific evidence supporting the use of e-cigarettes to aide in harm reduction continues to be a topic of debate. Adding clarity to the emotional discourse as presented by @sciencemagazine is a step in the right direction. http://bit.ly/2PFJeGf
. @Avesthagen, a systems biology life sciences company, just announced the acceleration of its Avestagenome Project. Their research focuses on the Indian & Parsi communities to understand the role of smoking in developing lung, oral & esophageal cancers: https://prn.to/35jgPwc
Sub-Saharan African countries have become home to five of the top tobacco producing countries, including #Malawi where tobacco exports contributed to 59% of total merchandise export earnings. Read about the impact on local economies and trade shifts. http://bit.ly/2NytTpP
Congratulations to ATI advisory board member & @StellenboschUni Prof. Umezuruike Linus Opara for being named one of the 2019 Highly Cited Researchers from the @webofscience Group. Learn more on Prof. Linus Opara here: http://bit.ly/2t6Hiz5
As the year draws to a close, we invite you to hear from the researchers working to end smoking in this generation. Watch the video to learn about projects that range from harm reduction among indigenous people to innovation in smoking cessation treatment. http://bit.ly/33hyBOW
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