The fight against tobacco abuse is still only beginning in Benin. The Framework Convention for Tobacco Control (FCTC) by the World Health Organization was only ratified by the Beninese government after a significant political struggle in November 2005. Arbre de vie (Tree of Life) is one of the very few activists for tobacco control in Benin. The NGO participated in a Regional Workshop for the Implementing of the FCTC and awareness-raising in four West African countries in 2006. Ever since, the fight against tobacco abuse has been firmly on our agenda. Arbre de vie has put a focus on working with younger people who are the target of the tobacco industry. Thus, we have conducted many awareness-raising sessions in high schools in Cotonou and its suburbs. We have also participated in the debate around the tobacco law. In 2007, we assisted the Ministry of Health in conducting promotional events in order to make the new tobacco law known to the local authorities including mayors, lawyers, policemen, etc.
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Tobacco kills more people than AIDS
The WHO estimates that tobacco will kill more than 5 million people this year. Thus, tobacco kills more people than at's far more than AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combined.
If nothing is done, this number will increase to 8 million by the year 2028, and 80% of the deaths will occur in developing countries. In the 21st century, one billion people could die from the consequences of tobacco use.
(Statistics from the 
WHO Report on the tobacco epidemic, 2008)
