The Member of Parliament for the North Dayi Constituency, Joycelyn Quashie, has encouraged the government to rise up and develop policies and strategies that seek to protect its citizens against tobacco industry manipulators.
She emphasised that Ghana should be counted among the nations that stood firm in the face of manipulation and chose to protect her people.
Contributing on the floor of Parliament on the occasion of World No Tobacco Day, May 31, 2025, she underscored, the World Health Organization (WHO) and public health advocates across the globe united under a bold and timely theme: “Unmasking the Appeal: Exposing Industry Tactics on Tobacco and Nicotine Products.”
According to the North Dayi MP, this year’s campaign aims to reveal the strategies employed by the tobacco and nicotine industries to make their harmful products enticing, particularly to young people.
By exposing these tactics, Madam Quashie highlighted that “WHO seeks to drive awareness, advocate for stronger policies, including a ban on flavours that make tobacco and nicotine products more appealing, and protect public health,” she stated.
Cautioning Ghanaians, especially the youth, not to be dissuaded by the packaging and attractive flavours of these tobacco products, she highlighted that behind the shiny packaging, attractive flavours, and sleek advertisements lies a multi-billion-dollar industry that is unrelenting in its efforts to recruit the next generation of consumers — our children, our youth.
“This is not simply a public health issue; it is a matter of national development, social justice, and intergenerational equity”, the MP stressed.
She revealed that with the declining consumer numbers in their traditional markets, the tobacco industry has shifted its gaze towards our youth, and our young people are at the center of their strategy.
“They use digital platforms, influencers, giveaways, and misleading harm reduction claims to paint smoking and vaping as trendy, modern, and even harmless,” she emphasised.
Her statement concluded, “Let Ghana be counted among the nations that stood firm in the face of manipulation and chose to protect her people”.
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