Tobacco Smoking – Common Cause of Lung Cancer

Rowaca Cancer Group – Sierra Leone joins people worldwide in observing the ‘No Tobacco Smoking Day’ on May 31st. The most common cause of lung cancer is tobacco smoking. The Rome 8 January 2004 report of the Food and Agricultural Organization of The United Nations (FAO) states, “Higher world tobacco use expected by 2010.”

The FAO says “number of smokers is growing – production shifting to developing countries”

The Rome 8 January 2004 report further states “World tobacco demand is expected to increase until the year 2010 due to population and income growth, but at lower rates than in the past, according to a new study published by FAO.

That while in developed countries tobacco smoking is set to continue to decline; in developing countries consumption will increase (Projections of tobacco production, consumption and trade to the year 2010).

Sensitization Can Be Key to Cancer Control

Information, through a well planned sustainable advocacy, can bring awareness to the people to know the dangers of cancer and the risk unsuspecting people may face from tobacco smoking and exposure to cancer causative substances. Information Dissemination, through the collection, analysis, and dissemination of information useful in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer can be critical to saving lives of millions of people.

“Lung Cancer is mostly linked to exposure to cancer-causing substances: this includes exposure to asbestos in the mining or construction industries. Also exposure to certain industrial substances like coal products, nickel chromate, vinyl chloride, and exposure to some organic chemicals like chloromethyl ethers,” says RCG-SL Team Leader Alpha Kamara.

The FAO says world tobacco production is projected to reach over 7.1 million tonnes of tobacco leaf in the year 2010, up from 5.9 million tonnes in 1997/99.

“The number of smokers is expected to grow from 1.1 billion in 1998 to around 1.3 billion in 2010,” according to the report, adding that this is an increase of about 1.5 percent annually.

Despite the overall increase of tobacco use, FAO expects consumption per adult to decline by around 10 percent by 2010, and that individual consumption will probably be around 1.4 kg per year (from around 1.6 kg in 2000).

FAO said applying an aggressive anti-smoking and anti-tobacco policy, tobacco consumption per person could even drop by 20 percent.

  “Deaths from cancer worldwide are projected to continue rising, with an estimated 12 million deaths in 2030.”

Taking a cue from the FAO and WHO, there is a dare need of radical advocacy campaigns against tobacco smoking if cancer must be controlled.

“The fight against cancer and Lung cancer in particular, needs remedial measures that must be proactively implemented to save the millions of people in Africa, and Sierra Leone in particular, from activities that might expose them to the disease,” says Alpha Kamara.

Public smoking of tobacco is in high use among people Sierra Leone. There is always the potential for infants, children and non-smokers to fall victims of lung cancer.

RCG-SL therefore urges all stakeholders to support the campaign against tobacco smoking in their communities.

Rowaca Cancer Group – Sierra Leone

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