Why Tobacco and Alcohol are not essential for Fight Against Covid-19

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Tobacco and Alcohol are Not Essential for Fight Against coronavirus Pandemic

The Government of Kenya recently identified a list of essential products for the fight against coronavirus pandemic. Some of the listed items included wheat products, sugar, cereals, processed food, fish, meat products among others. Tobacco, tea, and alcoholic beverages were also listed as essential. NGOs claimed that alcohol and tobacco shouldn’t be listed as essential for the fight against the pandemic. This article describes the reasons why tobacco and alcohol are not essential for fight against COVID-19.

Questions continue to linger among Kenyans over the inclusion of alcohol beverages and tobacco as essentials. The government still allow businesses selling such products are still to operate past curfew hours in the country. Because of this, a group of NGOs claimed that the inclusion of those items is dangerous for Kenyans especially during the outbreak of COVID-19. They termed these products as deadly and demanded that the Kenyan government should remove the products from the list.

International Institute for Legislative Affairs (IILA), Kenya Tobacco Control Alliance (Ketca) and Alcohol Control Policy Network (ACPN) claims that the products can be weakest links in Kenya’s struggle to contain coronavirus. Because of this, they want the government to withdraw them from the list and consider more essential products for the safety of Kenyans.

Increasing the risk of death as a result of COVID-19

According to NGOs, it is wrong for the government to include such items as essentials even after the World Health Organization and other health experts warned people against the use of tobacco during coronavirus outbreak. This is because of the side effects that come with the consistent use of tobacco and alcohol.

The use of tobacco, according to WHO, causes cancer of the lungs. Because of this, it increases the chances of deaths coming as a result of COVID-19 infection. Tobacco causes respiratory infections including the common cold. A person suffering from such infections is more likely to die out of COVID-19 than a normal person would.

Alcohol, on the other hand, lowers the ability of the body to fight the virus. This increases the chances of death because alcohol weakens the immune system.

The NGOs claimed that controlling the use of such products will be counterproductive against COVID-19. This move, according to the NGOs will also prevent Kenyans from unnecessary deaths just because of COVID-19.

The NGOs argued that with coronavirus pandemic, deaths can only reduce when the government controls the use of alcohol and tobacco products. According to them, these products are death traps that will only increase the burden to the health system of Kenya.

Because of this, the government needs to take action and control the supply of such products to the citizens. The NGOs made all these claims because they are the reasons why tobacco and alcohol are not essential to fight against COVID-19.

Recommendations

The NGOs further advised people too cautious and try not to replace the deadly pandemic with another. This is to ensure that Kenyans are safe during this pandemic. Kenyans need to take responsibility for their health and join other heal experts to help contain coronavirus.

Business Emergency Response Committee (BERC) and a technical committee of experts informed the essential products that the government recommended. The committee said that the manufacturers and suppliers of such products are essential for sustaining the lives of Kenyan citizens.

The ministry of health urged the government to protect workers in those sectors. It added that these workers need a special permit in the event of a lockdown. Because of this, Kenyans should handle this situation with great care as we fight against this global pandemic.

For more information, read more about alcohol, tobacco and their effects on your health. Get more updates from the Ministry of Health, Kenya, The World Health Organization as well as other Health Experts.