In a country where attention is often focused on headline-grabbing health crises like HIV and malaria, a quieter, deadlier threat continues to thrive-Tobacco.
Every week, tobacco silently claims the lives of at least 140 people in Zambia. This is a report, according to the Zambia United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force(UNIATF).
But what’s even more alarming is that, it is not just the smokers who are dying. Those who have never touched a cigarette (Second-Hand smokers) are increasingly becoming victims of its deadly grip.
Ministry of Health Mental Health Officer, Gabriel Lungu, says tobacco is harmful to health, although millions continue to light up.
“It is those sitting quietly nearby at bus stops, in bars, in their own homes who are inhaling the toxic fumes who are paying the price,” Lungu says.
“They don’t even realize they are more vulnerable,” he adds.
He highlights how Second-hand smoke affects non-smokers more severely in some cases, especially over time.
According to the Mental Health Officer, even modern alternatives like shisha have not reduced the danger.
“People think shisha is safer, but the risks remain the same, cancer, heart disease, respiratory illnesses,” he explaines. And the costs go far beyond human health.
A recent report by Zambia-UNIATF reveals that tobacco use costs Zambia’s economy a staggering ZMW 2.8 billion annually, money lost through healthcare expenses, reduced productivity, and premature deaths.
That is a huge price to pay for a habit often considered a personal choice.But is it really just personal when the smoke spreads to everyone else?
Zambia’s Public Order Act prohibits smoking in public places like buses and public buildings.
Yet enforcement remains weak, and societal tolerance is high. Smoking in public has become so normalized that many citizens no longer question it, even if it is making them sick.
Kalingalinga Resident, Mulenga Kalombe, believes awareness is still far too low.
“People don’t understand how dangerous it is,” he says.
“Asthmatics and children are especially at risk, and yet they’re exposed every day.”
Mental health advocate, Dr. George Kafuna agrees.
“Some women think they’re being supportive when they stay with partners who smoke around them,” he says.
“But that silent support is killing them and their children.”Dr. Kafuna stresses that families are often the most affected.
He narrates how In homes where parents smoke, children’s health is compromised daily, from chronic coughs to increased risk of lung cancer later in life.
Health advocate has called for stronger regulation, particularly around the sale of tobacco to underage buyers and for law enforcement agencies to step up.
“We need tougher laws, yes, but we also need them implemented. And we need real education on what passive smoking truly does,” he urges.
Tobacco may not make headlines every day. But its effects linger in the lungs of those who never asked to inhale it.
And until more people recognize that the danger is not just in smoking, but in the smoke itself, the invisible victims will continue to suffer quietly and fatally.