In observance of ‘World No Tobacco Day’ which is today, May 31st, the National Drug Prevention Unit (NDPU) will host a district level quiz competition targeting 1st form students of our secondary schools.
Out of the 16 schools invited, 12 have consented to participate. These include the; Dominica Grammar School, Nehemiah Comprehensive, Northeast Comprehensive, Dominica Community High, St.Mary’s Academy, Wesley High, Isaiah Thomas, Goodwill, Portsmouth, Pierre Charles, Castle Bruce and Dominica Seventh Day Adventist Secondary Schools.
The students will compete in three clusters. Two of these clusters will compete at the Public Service Union building on Valley Road and the other at the Youth Skills Training Centre in Portsmouth. The 1st and 2nd place winning schools in each cluster will go on to participate at the National Anti-Drug Quiz Competition on June 23 in observance of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and illicit trafficking which is traditionally June 26th of every year.
Efforts are being made through the NDAPU and Health Promotion Resource Centre to build greater awareness on the dangers of Tobacco. Last year stakeholders met for a one day workshop discussing the United Nations (UN) framework on Tobacco, which highlighted the six Tobacco Control measures in an effort to counter the epidemic.
These include monitoring Tobacco use and prevention policies, protecting people from Tobacco smoke, offering help to quit Tobacco use, Warning about the dangers of Tobacco, Enforcing bans on Tobacco advertising/promotion/sponsorship and Raising taxes on Tobacco.
In addition Secondary School students held a number of discussions on the topic, “banning of Tobacco” in public places.
What I would like to see inn Dominica is the enactment of anti-tobacco laws. Many countries around the world have already done so, so what are we waiting for in Dominica? Smoking in public places and buildings should be banned, advertising and promotion of tobacco products whould also be banned. Age limits on smoking should be adopted to prevent young children from smoking. Tobacco is one of the leading causes of death around the world but it remains legal while people are considered crimminals if the smell of ganga is taken on them. But the crucial point is that we need to protect non-smokers from second hand smoke and this is only possible when anti-tobacco laws and smoking bans are put in place.