By: Sulaiman Stom Koroma
The Ministry of Health and Sanitation, in partnership with the World Health Organisation (WHO), has started a three-day national validation workshop to review and finalise the draft regulations under the Tobacco and Nicotine Control Act 2022.
The event, which runs from November 10th to 12th at the Sierra Palms Hotel in Freetown, brings together key stakeholders from government ministries, agencies, civil society organizations, and the health sector to examine the proposed tobacco and nicotine regulations aimed at reducing tobacco and nicotine use in Sierra Leone.
Speaking during the opening ceremony, Deputy Minister of Health and Sanitation, Professor Charles Senessie, spoke on the urgency of addressing tobacco use, particularly among the country’s youth.
“Tobacco is an entry point for many young people, and it often leads them down a path of experimenting with more harmful substances, including Kush.” He said. The Deputy Minister stressed that while the legislation provides a legal framework, enforcement remains weak without robust and actionable regulations.
Prof. Charles Senessie noted that the presence of diverse sectors at the validation session shows a strong national commitment to tobacco control, saying that collaborative effort will help ensure the final regulations are effective, enforceable, and aligned with the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.
He also underscored the health risks associated with tobacco, linking its use to a wide range of preventable diseases, and urged that the regulations be grounded in research and international best practices to save lives.
In his statement, Ismaila Kebbie, who is the Deputy Director of NCD and Mental Health, emphasises the need for the regulations, stating that the statistics of smokers are increasing, as is seen in the current situation.
The Deputy Director ended up calling on the stakeholders to align the recommendations with the WHO and other standards in the world
The validation process is expected to inform the finalization and eventual implementation of the Tobacco and Nicotine Control Regulations, further strengthening Sierra Leone’s fight against non-communicable diseases and substance abuse in Sierra Leone.
