Tobacco Situational Analysis And Control In West Africa (1)

By

Jibo Nura

West African Research Association (WARA), Boston, U.S.A

jibonura@yahoo.com

 

 

Background

Ample data on the prevalence of tobacco smoking in West Africa is hard to come by. However, in every city across the continent, youth and young women are ubiquitously seen smoking cigarette up a storm (Carol, 2007a). According to a World Health Organization (WHO) study, tobacco is the second major cause of mortality in the world, predisposing over 650 million people world wide to premature death. It is feared that if current smoking trend continues, tobacco will kill some 10 million people worldwide each year by 2020, with 70% of these deaths occurring in developing countries. In West Africa, one in every 10 adults is killed by tobacco. This is equivalent to an estimated daily death of 5 million people worldwide (WHO, 2006).

 

Tobacco is one of the most commonly used addictive substances that contain several chemicals which are injurious to health. It is often used in different forms such as chewing, snuffing and smoking. The motivation for tobacco consumption is derived from the transcential feeling after use, which is due largely to the addictive effect of its major chemical constituent on the nervous system. The fact remains however that, tobacco use is harmful because it is known to contain over 4,000 hazardous chemical substances, 50 of which are carcinogenic (Abubakar, 2007a). The most dangerous chemicals in tobacco are nicotine and carbon monoxide.  Nicotine, in its concentrated form, is one of the most powerful poisons known to mankind. One drop of nicotine solution, if directly injected into the human body, may lead to death within minutes.  Nicotine does not kill a person as he smokes because it is absorbed gradually by the body following slight biochemical modifications. It has no medicinal property whatsoever and is supposed to be marketed as an insecticide. It is as highly addictive as cocaine, heroine and morphine (MOH, 2004).

 

Carbon monoxide is the same as the gas that emanates from car’s exhaust. It easily interacts with the heamoglobin in red blood cells and impairs its oxygen carrying capacity there by causing difficulties in breathing. Carbon monoxide, combined with nicotine, predisposes the user to coronary thrombosis and stroke, commonly known as cardiovascular accidents.

 

In West African region, the largest percentage of smokers is the 20 to 40 age group, with most smokers starting the habit in their teens (ECSA, 1999b).Today, not only tobacco smoking, but also its production, marketing, distribution and smuggling are fast growing in West African sub region.

 

Contextual agenda

The situation of tobacco in Francophone countries such as Senegal reveals that the recent bill board advertisement and campaigns shown in the photo by giant multinational tobacco companies, entices the young to smoke who are encouraged to send in their proof of purchase seals to enter a drawing to “win a trip to America”. Evidently, these marketing tactics are paying off in a big way, since a certain Philip Morris International has started construction of a $25 million factory at the outskirt of Dakar. When completed, the plant will be the first wholly owned tobacco plant in Africa that can produce cigarette for sale in the region, creating about 300 permanent jobs. But, no matter the high in payment to the workers, the company will never come close to compensating West Africans for the increase in death and illness that is sure to follow (Carol et al., 2007a). This same Philip Morris that brought up the iconic Marlboro man has had its eye in Senegal for a long time. Even as Senegal is known for its stability and relative democracy, it was the first African country to enact tobacco control legislation in the late 70s to early 80s.

In Nigeria, one of the largest tobacco farming countries in Anglophone Africa, many tobacco farmers, rather than growing rich from the crop, often find themselves in debt to tobacco companies. For decades, the British American Tobacco (BAT) has encouraged Nigerian peasant farmers to grow tobacco, claiming that it will bring them prosperity. These farmers are used by the company to produce tobacco from 1,260 tons in 2001 to 2,230 tons in 2004, valued at N320.6 million and 2,945 tons in 2006 valued at N568.04 million. Domestic tobacco inclusion is currently 40% in the Value For Money (VFM) segment of the VAT in Nigeria (Aliyu, 2006a). This has created a situation where more and more farmers are competing to sell tobacco to the companies for lower and lower prices. Majority of the Nigerian tobacco farmers are now at risk of health and environmental dangers from pesticide exposure to green tobacco sickness (GTS) caused as a result of dermal absorption of nicotine from contact with wet tobacco leaves (WHO Report, 2004). The smoking prevalence in the general population of Nigeria, according to a 1990 survey of 1,270 adults, showed that as many as 24% of men and 7% of women smoke cigarette on a daily basis. The adult population reportedly increased its consumption by as much as 32% from what it was in 1970. The 1991 statistics showed that about 4.14 million Nigerians were smoking, 11% of which were heavy smokers, smoking 10 and above sticks per day (Mike, 2007a). Another survey in 1998 suggests that there may have been a decline (15% of men and 2% of women), but the actual current prevalence is now higher due to the fact that there are several millions of smokers in Nigeria and their numbers are yet to be ascertained because many cigarettes consumed in the country are smuggled in.

Students in Niger Republic spend more than 7% of their income on cigarette and manual labourers spend more than 25% of their income on cigarette (WHO, 2004).

In Ghana, tobacco activities constitute larger proportion of income and Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Although there are campaigns to discourage tobacco industries from selling and marketing their products, tobacco consumption is becoming unprecedented. (Jibo, 2007).

 

Tobacco in other Francophone West African countries such as Cote d’ voire, Togo, Benin Republic, and Mali posit a lot of health and environmental threats particularly to people who engage in its farming, marketing, distribution, consumption and smuggling. For them, tobacco is seen as a lucrative business that brings about large income generation. In Lesophone countries like Cape Verde and Guinea Bissau, there are significant numbers of people who are seriously into the business of tobacco, but their percentage is yet to be determined.

 

In 2002, the world’s largest tobacco multinational companies had combined tobacco revenues of more than 121 billion USD. This sum is greater than the total combined GDP of West Central, East and North African countries (WHO Report, 2004)

 

 

Contextual Framework

Attempts have been made by NGOs, government agencies, civil society activists and international organizations such as the WHO and IDRC to mainly control tobacco use in developing countries, but especially curb the global threat that tobacco poses. The historic step taken by the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco (FCTC), shows deep commitment to protect not only the West African citizens, but also the world population from the damaging effects of tobacco. The convention being the first public health treaty ratified by 192 member states of the WHO in 2003, represents a turning point in addressing a major global killer and signals a new era in national and international tobacco control. The WHO FCTC aims to protect national legislation from being circumvented by international activities of tobacco companies that have to do with cross-border advertising and smuggling of tobacco products into West African sub region. The World Bank has shown that implementing comprehensive tobacco control policies in developing countries would reduce or eliminate tobacco consumption and improve productivity of its users. The money that people previously spent would be redirected to other goods and services, generating demand and new jobs across the economy. Such policies, according to the European Commission are a development issue that can bring unprecedented health benefits without harming-and quite possibly helping-African economies.

 

However, tobacco control policies such as the FCTC can only work within the West African sub region if its procedures are followed diligently and supported by the legislatures, tobacco control advocacy groups, youth networks, schools, hospitals, medical associations, civil society groups, consumer groups, faith-based communities and local governments of West African Countries, even though some of them nearly signed the convention for political reasons.

 

 Justification

Global partnership for tobacco control to help support and strengthen international and regional tobacco control activities, is imperative because of the following:

a)      To generally deal with tobacco production, distribution, marketing and consumption that seriously cause a global health hazard to developing countries and the world over.

b)      To seek a platform for easy generation of support funds from individuals, donor agencies and government departments for effective policy control research on tobacco in West African sub region.

c)       To develop human resource for successful implementation and execution of policy-oriented research.

d)      To link up with the global partnership on tobacco control by co-opting technocrats, policy makers, civil societies, NGOs, medical associations and faith –based communities for effective regional and national sound policy implementation of tobacco control programmes.

e)      To source data that are research based on tobacco control in West African sub region.

The sole aim is to bring out a workable strategy for successful global tobacco control agenda.

 

Scope and limitations

 

The study cannot claim total representation of the entire African continent. However, it covers West African sub region viz: Ghana, Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Gambia, Senegal, Mali, Guinea, Niger Republic, Cote d’voire, Burkina Faso, Togo, Benin, Cape Verde and Guinea Bissau.

Constraints expected during the study include the following:

 

a)      Absence of existing standard data for comparative analysis.

b)      Inadequate capacity for building a solid research based network(s) that will harmonize control policy initiatives.

c)       Short mobilization fee and financial resources for development of workforce and manpower for the research.

 

Research Questions

 

1.       To what extent does tobacco increase the level of health implications of the people of West African sub region?

2.       Do West African countries depend on tobacco as a means of survival and livelihood?

3.       What are the historiographical processes viz: cultural, traditional and moral on tobacco production in the West African sub-region?

4.       To what extent does tobacco farming affect the economy of West African sub-region? (The increase or decrease in the level of national income and GDP as a result of tobacco farming in West Africa)

5.       What is the role of international communities, NGOs, civil society and health sector in controlling tobacco production, distribution, marketing and consumption in West Africa?

6.       What are the benefits if any, and /or loss in using tobacco?

7.       What is the policy implication in evaluating, monitoring and control of tobacco production in order to reduce health hazards caused by tobacco dependency syndrome?

8.       What is the truth about tobacco and employment in West Africa?

 

 

Jibo Nura,   life time member, West African Research Association, Boston University, U.S.A submitted this piece to International Development Research Centre, Canada. Email: jibonura@yahoo.com

 

 

 

References

 

Abubakar, U (2007a) Tobacco: Why the Smoke Billows Higher. Daily Trust, Abuja, Nigeria: 22-29

Aliyu, M (2006a) Tobacco Companies and Our Health: The Undiluted Facts. British American Tobacco, Nigeria

Carol, MG (2007a) Big Tobacco Expands in West Africa. USA: 1-2

ECSA (1999b) East, Central and Southern Africa Regional Research Agenda

FCTC (2003) Framework Convention of Tobacco Control

Jibo, N (2007) Tobacco and Poverty in Nigeria, Zaria, Nigeria: 1-2

Mike et al. (2007a) Non-communicable Disease Control. Federal Ministry of Health, Nigeria

MOH: Ministry of Health De-addiction and Counseling Center, Kaduna State, Nigeria

WHO (2006) World Health Organization, Tobacco Control Policy Report, Geneva, Switzerland

WHO (2004) World No Tobacco Day: The Vicious Circle of Tobacco and Poverty. Geneva, Switzerland: 1-26