1. The Heart and Stroke Foundation South Africa 24 th January 2007 Presented by: Zulfa Abrahams

2. The Heart and Stroke Foundation South Africa MISSION STATEMENT “The Heart and Stroke Foundation South Africa (HSFSA) is a community based health organisation established to reduce the incidence of heart disease and stroke in the population of South Africa by providing education and supporting research.”

3. The Heart and Stroke Foundation South Africa The HSFSA supports the Tobacco Products Control Amendment Act, whose purpose is: To prevent the youth from starting to smoke To protect non-smokers from the toxins produced by tobacco smoke Furthermore, we whole heartedly support: The Bill’s increased requirements regarding smoking in public places, as well as further guarding defenceless children from the dangers of passive smoking. Since the inception of the Tobacco Act in 2001, there has been a substantial decrease in the number of people smoking, indicating the positive impact of such an Act and the importance of enforcing stricter regulations to further decrease the incidence of cigarette consumption.

4. The Heart and Stroke Foundation South Africa Smoking & Heart Disease A deadly combination Smoking is a major cause of death from cardiovascular disease. It accounts for about 20% of cardiovascular deaths. (World Heart Federation) Smoking kills 80 South Africans per day – resulting in more than double the number of deaths occurring on our roads each year. (MRC) In South Africa tobacco use accounts for 8% of all deaths annually. (MRC) Smokers have a four times greater risk of stroke compared with people who have never smoked cigarettes. (World Heart Federation)

5. The Heart and Stroke Foundation South Africa A preventable traffic jam! Within the first 10 minutes of inhaling tobacco smoke your heart rate increases by 30%. Smoking tends to increase blood cholesterol levels. Smoking raises the levels of fibrinogen (a protein which causes blood to clot), and increases platelet production which makes the blood more sticky – causing a traffic jam to ones heart! This sudden blockage of an artery may lead to a fatal heart attack, stroke or gangrene of the leg. Smokers are more likely to develop a stroke than non-smokers. 11% of all stroke deaths are estimated to be smoke related.

6. The Heart and Stroke Foundation South Africa Tobacco = Death Tobacco is the second major cause of death in the world. It is currently responsible for the death of one in ten adults worldwide (about 5 million deaths each year). (WHO) Tobacco is the only legal consumer product that kills the user when used exactly as the manufacturer intended. All forms of tobacco are harmful, but cigarettes are more dangerous than cigars and snuff. Tobacco causes or worsens over 40 diseases including heart disease, cancer, lung disease, complications of pregnancy and TB.

7. The Heart and Stroke Foundation South Africa Smoking hurts more people than just smokers Only 30 minutes of exposure can damage a non-smoker’s heart and increase the risk of heart disease by 30%. Second hand smoke contains 5 times more carbon monoxide and 6 times more nicotine than smoke inhaled by first hand smoking. Heart disease has been associated with second-hand smoke exposure. A non-smoker working in a smoke-filled room for eight hours will breathe as many cancer-causing chemicals as if he or she had smoked 36 cigarettes. It causes a wide variety of adverse health effects in children such as bronchitis and pneumonia, asthma, middle ear infection and deafness. A pregnant woman’s exposure to other people’s smoking can harm her foetus. The effects are compounded when the child is exposed to passive smoking after birth. Being exposed to environmental tobacco smoke at work was associated with 97% greater risk of acute coronary syndromes, and 33% risk for people exposed at home. (WHO)

8. The Heart and Stroke Foundation South Africa Smoking and Children Children inhale more air relative to their body weight than adults – therefore absorb more tobacco smoke toxins. Smoking by parents is the biggest contributor of children’s exposure to secondhand smoke Children are less able to complain and remove themselves from smoke filled rooms! Children who breathe second-hand smoke are more likely to get colds, allergies, middle ear infections, and "glue ear", which is the most common cause of deafness in children. Parents must recognise that passive smoking causes ill-health in children and that they have a responsibility not to inflict harm on their children

9. The Heart and Stroke Foundation South Africa Conclusions Smoking is best dealt with through health promoting interventions such as legislation banning smoking in public places, as well as through individual smoking cessation programmes. Conservatively it is estimated that such interventions alone could save South Africa R 300 million per annum We supports the Tobacco Bill’s objective of reducing the incidence of smoking in public places, areas where children are present and restricting smoking near air inlets and entrances to public places. We are passionate about the health of our nation and our children and therefore champion the fight in protecting our children from the dangers of smoking. We believe the Bill will make a significant contribution to reducing the health, economic an environmental harms caused by Tobacco use in South Africa. Governments have a duty to inform the public of the hazards of breathing in other people’s tobacco smoke and adults should act on that advice to protect the health of children.