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EAST AFRICAN STANDARD, THURSDAY, September 5 2002

KUDOS for carrying the article by Prof. Odhiambo (EAS August 29,2002) on whether or not tobacco is a drug. This was a beautifully written straightforward piece stating the facts as they are.

It is good to see that the East African Standard has the gust to publish an article like this giving the public the unvarnished truth about an extremely dangerous substance

The tobacco lobby worldwide, including Kenya is extremely powerful with its tentacles snaking into all spheres of countries' political and social fabric. It eats away at the moral and ethical fiber's driven to blindness by greed for profits at all costs. At the end of the day it shreds and falls apart laying bare a naked, sick society. Victims all, of tobacco.

And this is the tragedy, for tobacco like other drugs of abuse does not only affect the abuser, but many times more the people close to and around the abuser. These are the people who end up suffering sometimes even more than the abuser.

As a recovering alcoholic and ex-smoker I know this now only too well. The anguish I caused my loved ones and friends. But I am one of the lucky few. I am alive by God's Grace. I got off with a very light sentence for my smoking - asthma. Some of my friends were not so lucky.

Therefore for the East African Standard, once again keep it up, for the final beneficiary of your bravery and integrity are the youth who having gained insight from this kind of article make an informed decision.

David Ogot Snr.
Nairobi.

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