FDA leads anti-tobacco drive in Ho to mark world no tobacco day
The campaign kicked off with a community health outreach at the Ho market, offering outpatient services to traders and shoppers.
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The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), in collaboration with the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana, has launched an anti-tobacco campaign in Ho, the Volta Regional capital, as part of activities to mark this year’s World No Tobacco Day.
The campaign kicked off with a community health outreach at the Ho market, offering outpatient services to traders and shoppers. Health professionals conducted screenings for lifestyle-related conditions, including hypertension, diabetes, and other non-communicable diseases often linked to tobacco use.
As part of the campaign, a team engaged in face-to-face education with market users, sensitizing them on the long-term dangers of tobacco consumption and encouraging them to avoid its use altogether.
Dr. Mrs. Olivia Boateng, Director of the FDA’s Tobacco and Substances of Abuse Division, emphasized that although tobacco use is still permitted under Ghanaian law, strict enforcement of health regulations has helped reduce usage rates to around four percent. She stressed that such initiatives are critical to further curbing tobacco dependence.
The FDA also used the occasion to reiterate its stance against unregistered and illegal products in the market. Dr. Boateng warned that individuals caught distributing such products would face legal consequences.
Volta Regional FDA Director Gordon Akurugu explained that Ho was chosen for the event due to the region’s vulnerability to smuggling, given its numerous unofficial border routes. He stated that a 24-hour surveillance system has led to several product seizures in recent years.
Dr. Ruby Biaku of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana said her organization supported the campaign as part of its mandate to raise public awareness about health risks. She highlighted the rise in non-communicable diseases and the danger of self-medication, stressing the need for regular health screenings.
The outreach forms part of broader efforts by health stakeholders to reduce the burden of tobacco-related illnesses and promote healthy living across the country.
