They came in their numbers; smokers around the city of Yaounde. The venue was the Cite Verte District Hospital, and the event was a free medical consultation for smokers. This activity organised by the Cameroonian Coalition for Tobacco Control (C3T) ran from Monday 22nd to Tuesday 23rd May, 2017 and marked the beginning of activities to commemorate World No Tobacco Day 2017.

The main objective of this campaign was to let smokers know the extent of damage their smoking has caused them, so they could follow up their treatment. The Cameroonian Coalition for Tobacco Control seized the opportunity to sensitize patients of the hospital on the dangers of smoking and enlightened them on why they must not make an attempt to start.

On their part, visiting patients expressed gratitude with the initiative and expressed their desire to see many more people come for the consultations. Some patients confirmed knowledge of the damage smoking causes them but regretted the fact that they are just so glued to cigarettes that they find it difficult to stop. On standby was a medical professional giving tips on how smokers can make up their mind and eventually quit.

Commemorated this year under the theme “Tobacco; A Threat To Development”, the 30th World No Tobacco Day is an opportunity for stakeholders to highlight just how tobacco consumption can hinder the development of a family, a community and the nation. It is the wish of C3T that as patients got consulted, they will take measures to redress their smoking complications so that they can be strong again and be able to work for the development of Cameroon.