EMPD conducts tobacco awareness at school

The EMPD Social Crime Prevention Unit and various stakeholders visited Leondale Secondary School as part of their World No-Tobacco Day awareness campaign on May 31.

The other stakeholders include members of the Department of Health, the Department of Education and the ward councillor.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared May 31 as World No-Tobacco Day to create awareness of the harm caused by tobacco products on people’s health.

According to the EMPD media liaison officer Lieutenant Colonel Kelebogile Thepa, they taught the learners about the dangers of smoking and its impacts on the lungs and how it can cause health issues such as heart disease and affect the reproductive and immune systems.

“The theme for this year is ‘we need food’, which aims to encourage tobacco farmers to grow nutritious food, other than growing tobacco.

“The EMPD will continue to raise awareness of the dangers of tobacco use in schools across the City of Ekurhuleni (CoE),” said Thepa.