Tobacco growing can have long-lasting hazards in society if not controlled

Tobacco use has health effects to growers and the consumers. It has been proved that Tobacco growers suffer skin diseases known as the green tobacco sickness as a result of contact with the tobacco leaf.

The Minister for Agriculture, Mr Tress Bucanayandi in meeting with some MPs was quoted to have said it was unnecessary / useless to have a Tobacco Control Bill. Given this background, Ugandans need to know why we need a law on tobacco products.

Scientific evidence has proved that tobacco consumption, use and growth has health, environmental, social and economic effects.

Recognising that Tobacco use or consumption is the leading cause of preventable deaths accounting for over 5,200,000 deaths every year, the World Health Organisation came up with a law, the FrameWork Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) to control tobacco use.

Tobacco use has health effects to growers and the consumers. It has been proved that Tobacco growers suffer skin diseases known as the green tobacco sickness as a result of contact with the tobacco leaf.

Uganda in pursuance of the right to a clean and healthy environment which is enshrined in our Constitution, signed the FCTC on the March 5, 2004 and in 2007 ratified this international treaty and is now under obligation to enact legislation to domesticate the FCTC and consequently contribute to the global reduction of tobacco related illnesses.

Tobacco growing has environmental effects. During tobacco farming, tobacco plants are sprayed with pesticides which end up affecting the fertility of the soil. Even when a farmer opts to change to other cash crops, the lasting effects of the tobacco pesticides will affect the growth of the new crops.

Most trees are cut to cure tobacco in Masindi, Hoima, Kibaale, Arua, Rukungiri, Kanungu and other tobacco growing districts let alone the glaring poverty that is directly linked to tobacco and of course the children who are forced out of schools to provide labour to grow Tobacco.

So, the minister need not fear the law as it will indeed help make his work easy because he will get more justification to allocate more resources to the tobacco growing areas for crop diversification and contribute to the President’s Manifesto and quest to improve household income.

The argument that people grow tobacco out of their choice is wrong. Majority of the population is affected by the devastating effects of tobacco growing and consumption and if a law to control the activity is not put in place, the nation will continue to levy taxes just to treat a sick population rather than prevent disease, encourage productivity and reduce income disparities in different regions.
Monica Murungi,
monicamulungi2@yahoo.com