Over 40 percent Cameroonian Students are smokers

Tobacco, they say 'is dangerous to your health”. But that doesn't seems to mean anything to many students in Cameroon. A survey conducted by government in some 13 secondary schools in the nation's capital of Yaounde recently revealed that over 40 percent of student are smokers, worst ill, at least 44 percent of them have tried a stick of cigarette. The survey was conducted as part of government activities to celebrate World No Tobacco Day.

A medical Doctor who was part of the survey told state radio that 7 percent of the secondary school students divulged amazingly that they started smoking as early as 7- years-old.

According WHO report, many smokers take up the habit before the age of 18, and almost a quarter of new smokers are younger than 10.

some disclosed that they learned how to smoke cigarette from their parents, influence from friends, from appealing cigarettes advertisements while others intimated that they were pushed into smoking out of mere frustration.

Consequently, in Cameroon, the government has taken several decisions to prevent young people from starting to smoke including a ban on tobacco advertising and sponsoring in the print and broadcast media as well as on billboards. Also, cigarette packs were supposed to have been carrying messages on both sides on the dangers of tobacco on human system. But as usual in Cameroon, the said law which went into effect last year and 1 July 2008, are being implemented slowly.

The World Health Organisation (WHO), in 2003 clinched the first global public health treaty which called for stronger warning on cigarette packets and limits on advertising and sponsorship, though these have not been applied to the fullest everywhere.

Douglas Bettcher, director of the WHO's Tobacco Free Initiative, said that a full ban was necessary to ensure that young people were shielded from dangerous messages, particularly in poorer countries where companies often target girls.

In a statement released ahead of this year's World No Tobacco Day, celebrated last 31 May, WHO said sophisticated marketing techniques were ensuring young people in fashion magazines, films, on the the Internet, and at concerts and sporting events.

“The more young people are exposed to tobacco advertising, the more likely they are to start smoking,” said the UN agency, accusing cigarette makers of “falsely associating use of tobacco products with qualities such as glamor, energy and sex appeal”