BAT’s move on COVID 19 Vaccine a Mockery, ZAMNAT’s Paxina Phiri cries

PRESS RELEASE
BAT’S MOVE ON COVID 19 VACCINE A MOCKERY
Lusaka 3rd April, 2020. The Zambia Media Network against tobacco (Zamnat) is disappointed to learn that British American Tobacco (BAT) the producers of cigarettes is trying to find a vaccine to COVID 19 when they know that they are the major contributors to the deaths of people because what they produce contributes highly to COVID 19.
It is a mockery to humanity for BAT to produce tobacco that kills people and then say that they are coming up with a vaccine to cure coronavirus when it would be less effective to the people that use their products (smokers).
Smokers are at a higher risk of corona virus infection because smoking affects the respiratory system by weakening it and this has been suspected to lead to aggressive effects by the corona virus.
Smoking suppresses the respiratory system thus maybe associated to COVID 19.
Some patients diagnosed with COVID 19 were associated with pneumonia, a lung- related infection which can be caused by smoking.
Therefore BAT is behaving like a rat which bites and blows cool air says Professor Fastone Goma, President for Zambia heart and stroke foundation. Professor Goma stressed that our argument was not about the usefulness of the tobacco plant but the destruction that tobacco does to the body, pre-disposing it to Coronavirus infection.
Professor Goma stated that even if BAT came up with the vaccine, it would be less effective in smokers.
And as Zamnat we reiterate the words of Professor Goma, we do not think that BAT is doing anyone any good because what is the point of producing what is killing people and then provide a vaccine that would not be effective in smokers.
We feel BATS move is demonic and must not be accepted. Why can’t they close their tobacco plants and stop killing people and than boast about finding a solution to coronavirus.
In Zambia , we have seen a steady increase of the cases of corona virus and we know that Zambia is among the countries that ratified to the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO/FCTC) and are yet to pass a Comprehensive tobacco products and Nicotine control bill and must not accept this vaccine from BAT otherwise it would compromise their ratification to the WHO/FCTC treaty.
Zambia loses 7, 124 people every year due to tobacco related diseases and more than 800 people die because of second hand smoke and we therefore, appeal to the Ministry of Health to put in place Comprehensive preventive measures to combat corona virus and enforce the ban on smoking in public places as Statutory Instrument 39 is already in place but lacks enforcement.
Second-hand smoke affects everyone and has the same effects of smoking cigarettes and therefore puts everyone at risk of a severe corona virus infection.
We are also calling upon parents and guardians to protect children from the dangerous chemicals found in tobacco which are known to expose them to respiratory complications synonymous to the COVID 19.
If the zeal and seriousness shown during this scourge of COVID 19 can be shown to control tobacco use in this country, we will save the lives of the Zambian people.

LET’S STAY SAFE AND HEALTHY AND STOP SMOKING!
FOR FURTHER QUERIES PLEASE CALL THE CHAIRPERSON FOR ZAMBIA MEDIA NETWORK AGAINST TOBACCO PAXINA PHIRI ON 0977 617756.

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