Young ambassadors for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), volunteers and activists in Turkmenistan were energized to build a country free from tobacco at a recent meeting in Ashgabat.
Official Ashgabat aims to make the country smoke-free by 2025.
The youth dialogue was organized by the WHO Country Office, together with the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry of Turkmenistan.
Mahrijemal Meredova, a young SDG ambassador, said: "I believe that smoking should be totally banned in our community and worldwide. Smoking damages the smoker’s lungs, heart, teeth, and every other organ of the body".
During the country’s annual Tobacco Cessation Month, young people in Turkmenistan actively lead public information campaigns on the hazardous effects and risks of tobacco consumption.
Shukur Muradov, an SDG ambassador and one of the young advocates in the fight against tobacco says, "As a young advocate and a Youth Ambassador for the European Code Against Cancer (ECAC), I prioritize raising awareness among young people about the importance of staying healthy.
According to the ECAC, keeping our households free of tobacco, along with following other messages, will help reduce the risk of cancer by up to 50%".
Another young activist, Lara Tuncer, adds, "According to the WHO, tobacco has resulted in more than 8mn deaths. That number is mind-blowing and heart-breaking. It includes around 1.2mn people dying from second-hand smoke."
According to WHO data from 2021, the number of smokers in Turkmenistan was 4% of the adult population. This compares with 9% in Uzbekistan, 15% in Kazakhstan and 27% in Russia.
Credits: Eziz Boyarov
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