Sixteen per cent of Moldova's teenagers consume tobacco, other secondary products

Chisinau, 13 February /MOLDPRES/ - Sixteen per cent of the teenagers consume tobacco and other products coming from it, according to a study recently carried out in Moldova. The dependence on the tobacco products and the exposure to cigarette smoke represented subjects discussed by specialists from more countries at a workshop held in Chisinau. The event was organized by the Nicolae Testemitanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy (USMF), in partnership with the Society of Paediatry from Moldova.    

Members of the professional organizations taking care of the health of children and teenagers from the USA, Romania, Turkey, Macedonia, Albania, Kazakhstan, representatives of Moldova’s Health Ministry and of the Office of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Moldova participated in the workshop.     

Attending the opening of the event was also the state secretary of the Health Ministry, Angela Paraschiv, who informed the audience about the commitment of the institution she leads in the control of tobacco and combatting its consumption. ‘’The organization of this workshop represents a good initiative for children’s protection against the consumption of tobacco – one the main risk factors in the deaths caused by non-transmissible diseases. Annually, 8.7 million of deaths because of smoking are registered in the world and 5,000 deaths – nationally,’’ the official said.    

According to the first pro-rector of the Nicolae Testemitanu USMF, Olga Cernetchi, the impact of the tobacco products on children’s health becomes more and more bad. While earlier, they discussed only about somatic diseases, then at present, the discussions include also the mental health of children and teenagers, which shows itself through depressions, phobias and other mental diseases.       

At the workshop, the experts tackled topical subjects dealing with the prevention and control of tobacco and the role of the physicians paediatrists and the specialized professional societies to combat the negative effects triggered by children’s exposure to the tobacco smoke. They also planned and identified new goals and eventual answers to the common challenges as regards the tobacco control and backing the giving up of smoking. As a result, a reference framework was worked out, which includes objectives, proper structures and potential results of the cooperation in the long run and discussed opportunities of education and support in the control  of this phenomenon and in order to reduce the smoking regionally.