People have the right to turn their nostrils into a tobacco chimney if they so choose and News-One or other person cannot begrudge them for that.
Our only plea is that persons who are celebrities and serve as role models for young ones should try to avoid being seen by their young fans while smoking. Children easily emulate what they see their role models doing and if such role models do not mind being seen puffing toxic nicotine and tobacco through their nostrils, then we have a looming crisis at hand.
It is not for fun that the laws of Ghana forbid the advertisement of cigarettes on the electronic media of placing cigarette billboards near basic schools. In our view, a celebrity seen smoking in public is not different from the same celebrity seen on TV advertising whatever he is smoking. Research shows that tobacco is very addictive and thus difficult to quit.
Therefore as a country, we must take a concerted effort to discourage our youth from failing into the temptation of giving it a try. A recent finding showed that cigarette smoking accounted for about one-third of all cancers, including 90 percent of lung cancer cases. Smokeless tobacco (such as chewing tobacco and snuff) also increases the risk of cancer, especially oral cancers.
In addition to cancer, smoking causes lung disease such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema and increases the risk of heart disease such as stroke, heart attack, vascular disease and aneurysm. Smoking has been linked to leukemia, cataracts and pneumonia. In Ghana, smoking among the youth is already becoming a problem and we must fight it rather than encourage it.
Yes, our celebrities are human beings and have the right to do whatever they want as long as it does not offend the law. But we are pleading that because of the strong influence they have on their fans, especially the youth, they should try as much as possible not to do certain things in public.