By: Sulayman Waan and Omar Faye
Dr. Abubacarr Jah, prominent Gambian Medical Doctor has called on smokers to stop smoking cigarette, saying it’s detrimental to human health.
“Smoking cigarette is dangerous to human health as it causes pneumonia and other diseases and I will never relent on advocating for its eradication,” the veteran medical doctor said in his QTV‘s Health Link show on Sunday.
Dr. Jah expressed that smoking cigarette is a bad practice especially in public places, noting that, it affects the health of smokers as well as the people surround them when smoking.
In some countries, he said, no person is allowed to smoke in a bar, adding that if smoking is eradicated in the country, it would be a great achievement for the populace and “if any person stops smoking it would be great beneficial to him\her.”
Meanwhile, in a series of interview within the Kanifing Municipality many shared their view with The Voice regarding Dr. Jah’s remark on cigarette smoking.
However, one of the smokers who prefers anonymity; said smoking cigarette has lots of consequence in his life because it led him to encountered enormous financial losses because he spent huge amount on cigarette daily.
According to him, despite knowing the health complications when it comes to smoking, he still continues to smoke because he said he is addicted to it. “Smoking cigarette has affected my health status because I was more active before than now. I used to run for a distance of 3 to 4 kilometers before but now I cannot even run for one kilometer long.” He said.
However, he called on the public to take the advice of the renowned medical doctor and stop smoking cigarette hence it’s detrimental to human health. “I had been affected with the consequence of cigarette but with the advice of Dr. Jah I will stop smoking,” he added.
Muhammed Jallo, a shopkeeper who sells cigarette for seven years said “I sell cigarettes, because it increases my business bit by bit. But I agree with what Dr Jah said that people should stop smoking because it causes more harm than good on our health”.
“I don’t think it will affect my business even if there is a stop to it. I sell cigarettes just to satisfy customers who come to buy cigarette in my shop”.
Following a motion table in the parliament by Edirisa Samba Sallah, former representative for Sami Constituency during the former regime, the then National Assembly members approved the motion resulted to the ban of smoking cigarette by under 18 years as well as public smoking.