Subsidize cooking gas to avert lung cancer, medical practitioner urges FG

The federal government has been urged to subsidize the cost of cooking gas and make kerosene more expensive in order to reduce the risk of people developing lung cancer in Nigeria.

A medical doctor with the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital UITH), Dr. Fasiku Mojirayo made the call while delivering a key note address at a one day seminar organised by the National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) held at the Press Centre of the Kwara State Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists ,Ilorin.

The seminar was organised in collaboration with Medical Women Association of Nigeria (MWAN) and Civil Society for Cancer Eradication in Nigeria (CiSCANEN ).

The doctor who is of the Haematologist department of UITH, said lung cancer is the leading cause of death in cancer related illness accounting for 1.3million death annually while more than 100 ,000 Nigerians suffer from lung cancer every year.

She said smoking , exhaust from vehicles , smoke from cooking stove and fire wood account for major causes of cancer with more than 3,000 death recorded annually as a result of passive smoking alone.

The medical expert also called on federal government to review the National Tobacco Control Acts to make stiffer penalty for those violating the law banning public smoking. Saying ‘‘each year, about 3,000 non-smoking adult die of passive smoking ’’.

She warned of a new method of smoking amongst the youth with the use of shissah which according to her, ‘‘is equivalent to taking 200 sticks of cigrates per hour’’.

‘‘Tobacco smoking is the major cause of lung cancer, tobacco contains more than 300 harmful substances. Across the world, almost more than 90 % of lung cancer deaths are caused by smoking.

‘‘Government must do something about this shissah which is the new method of smoking amongst the youth.
‘‘I think we are not doing enough, we have a law, if government can go after strippers, let’s go after people smoking in public ’’, she said.

Earlier in her address ,NAWOJ chairperson in the state ,Hajia Binta Abubakar Mora said the seminar was organised to raise awareness about the causes, prevention and treatment of lung caner .

The observed that the advocacy and awareness of lung cancer was very low despite being the leading cause of death in all cancer related diseases.