‘Benefits of tobacco outweigh hazards’

Grace Kaerasora
The anti-tobacco lobby in Zimbabwe is largely ineffective as the country exports a huge chunk of the crop, with the benefits outweighing hazards, an official has said.

Reacting to proposed cancer strategies, Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union president Mr Wonder Chabikwa said, “The anti-smoking lobby has been there worldwide. Internationally, the World Health Organisation is concerned that tobacco is harmful to health.

“There have been efforts for many years to influence a decrease in tobacco production. However, as a country, we have had one of the highest levels of tobacco production.”

Mr Chabikwa also said, “We have the highest level of benefits from tobacco, which far outweigh the hazards. (Tobacco production and trade) is a US$10 billion dollar industry across the world. It continues to create employment, and has been earning the country foreign currency.

“There is no evidence to suggest that tobacco use is the most hazardous thing to our health. About two percent of tobacco is what we consume. The rest is mostly for international customers such as China and South Africa. Zimbabwe is not the head consumer. What I can say is: The best way to go about it is to ban tobacco smoking in public places and lessen the risks associated with it to non-smokers.”