By Albert Allotey, GNA
Accra, June 3, GNA – Mr Mintah Akandoh, the Minister of Health has called on Ghanaians to come together to counter the deception of tobacco industry to protect the health, future, and the prosperity of the nation.
He said, “Today, we are not simply confronting a product. We are confronting a carefully crafted deception by the tobacco and nicotine industry.”
He said tobacco-related diseases cost Ghana an estimated GHc668 million each year through healthcare expenditure and lost productivity, adding, “More tragically, they contribute to over 6,000 preventable deaths annually.”
The Minister made the call in a speech read on his behalf by Dr Hafiz Adam Taher the Director of Technical Coordination at the Ministry of Health at the official launch of the 2026 World No Tobacco Day in Accra on Tuesday.
The Day was on the theme: “Unmasking the Appeal – Countering Nicotine and Tobacco Addiction.”
It was jointly launched by the Ministry of Health, the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), and the Vision for Accelerated Sustainable Development, Ghana (VAST-Ghana), a civil society organisation.
Mr Akandoh said for decades that Ghana and many countries around the world have made significant progress in reducing tobacco use through sustained public education, strong legislation, and collective action.
“We have helped many people to understand the dangers of smoking and encouraged healthier choices, but the tobacco and nicotine industry has adapted,” he stated, adding, “It has replaced the traditional cigarettes with electronic cigarettes, vapes, and shisha.
“It has exchanged the smell of smoke for flavours such as strawberry, mint, and bubble gum. It has wrapped addiction in attractive packaging and presented it as modern, fashionable, and harmless. Yet let us be clear; a poison disguised as candy is still a poison.”
The Minister urged the youth not to allow attractive flavours, social media trends, to mislead and determine their future, saying, “Protect your talent. Choose a future free from nicotine and tobacco addiction.
“You are the future doctors, teachers, engineers, entrepreneurs, innovators, and leaders of this nation. Your dreams are worth far more than the profits of any industry. The manufacturer of these products sees you as their next market.
“They see you as the generation that will replace the customers they lose to tobacco-related disease and death,” he concluded.
Mr Gayheart Mensah, the Acting Deputy Chief Executive of the FDA in a welcoming address asked stakeholders and development partners to use the Day to reaffirm their commitment to protecting and preserving the future generations from the harm that is caused by the use of tobacco.
He said, “For us as a country, today is a reminder of our obligation under the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and also our commitment under the Public Health Act, Act 851o safeguard and protect public health.”
Dr Fiona Braka, the WHO Representative in Ghana said nicotine addiction was not accidental but engineered and that globally tobacco-related diseases killed about eight million people each year.
She called on governments, partners, and communities to respond with decisive evidence-based actions to this situation,” she said.
She said Ghana was among countries that have contributed significantly to tobacco control across Africa over the last two decades through smoke-free policies, increased tobacco taxes, introduced health warnings, expanded cessation support services, and implemented key provisions of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.
“However, these hard-won gains are increasingly being threaten by new and emerging tobacco and nicotine products, aggressive marketing tactics and persistent efforts by the nicotine industry to influence public health policy.”
Most Rev Dr Cyril Ben Smith, Archbishop of the Anglican Church and the chairman of the occasion said safeguarding the health of the youth must be both public responsibility and moral obligation.
“Our young people deserve the opportunity to grow, learn, and thrive free from influences that threaten their future,” he said.
He called on parents, teachers, religious leaders, policymakers, and community leaders to work together to provide guidance, education, and protection to them.
Mr Labram Musah, the Executive Director of VAST-Ghana called on the Ministry of Finance to raise excise taxes on tobacco products, close loopholes, and earmark revenues for health promotion and cessation services.
“Furthermore, we call for a shift from hybrid structure to a fix excise tax rate, which is benchmarked to inflation and income growth.”
He said evidence clearly showed that a 10 per cent increase in tobacco prices could reduce consumption by about four per cent, adding, “The evidence also shows that; health taxes improve public health and leads to increased revenue – currently the revenue from excise tax has more than doubled.”
Mr Musah urged stakeholders to come together to address regulatory confusion regarding e-cigarettes and vaping products.
He said, “While the Public Health Act classifies non-tobacco products under the Tobacco Control Measures for cessation purposes only (which technically means these products are banned in Ghana), the Excise Duty Amendment Act 2023 (Act 1108) on the other hand allows its importation by taxing these products, creating enforcement gaps.
“This ambiguity risks normalizing these products among young people. VAST-Ghana calls for a legislation to repeal the aspect of the Act 1108 which imposes tax on e-cigarettes.”
GNA
Edited by Linda Asante Agyei