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| Senator Dr Victor Wheeler |
INDEPENDENT Senator Dr Victor Wheeler yesterday questioned whether the time has come to completely ban tobacco smoking in this country.
Wheeler described the smoking of cigarettes and pipes as a “devastating addiction” which is on par with cocaine and alcohol.
He said cigarette manufacturers should be ashamed of themselves. Wheeler made the comments as he delivered his contribution to the Tobacco Control Act during yesterday’s sitting of the Senate.
“There are many people who still don’t seem to realise how dangerous smoking is...smoking I consider it to be on par with cocaine and alcohol.
“Everything and anything that could be done to reduce and stop smoking should be done in my opinion.” Wheeler said he would happily support anything to reduce smoking. He said, according to statistics from the Dr Elizabeth Quamina Cancer Centre, lung cancer in Trinidad and Tobago is the “number one cancer” among men aged 25 to 59 years.