The Tobacco Control Consortium of Zambia (TCCZ) has urged all Members of Parliament to place the health and well-being of Zambians above all other interests by supporting the passage of the Tobacco Control Bill, which is expected to come up for debate in Parliament this week.
Tobacco use remains one of the leading causes of preventable illness and death in Zambia, claiming more than 7,000 lives annually and placing a heavy burden on families, communities, and the country’s health system.
The proposed Bill seeks to protect citizens, particularly children and non-smokers, from tobacco-related health risks, align Zambia’s laws with the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), restrict tobacco advertising and access, regulate smoking in public spaces, promote public education and cessation support, and reduce the long-term health and economic costs associated with tobacco use.
Consortium Chairperson, Muloboka Phiri, says the absence of a comprehensive tobacco control legislation has left Zambia vulnerable to rising tobacco-related harm and persistent interference by the tobacco industry in public policy.
“This marks a critical milestone for public health in Zambia, coming 18 years after the country ratified the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in 2008,” said Mr Phiri in a statement issued to RCV News in Lusaka today.
Mr. Phiri further called on the general public, civil society organisations, health professionals, faith-based institutions, and the media to actively engage in the legislative process, support the Bill, and hold decision-makers accountable.
He also reminded the tobacco industry that Zambia has committed to safeguarding public health policy from commercial and vested interests, in line with Article 5.3 of the WHO FCTC.
RCV News.
