THE PHLEGM, THE SPIT, AND THE ILLS

Every day, as I walk down the street I see several Ghanaians doing so many filthy things but the one act that I cannot bring myself to understand is the hawking up of phlegm.

Seriously, do they have to make that irritating sound all the time? And as if that is not enough, they spit it out and do not even bother to cover up their mess with some sand. AARRGGHH!!

I remember my mother telling me about how someone sitting next to her in a tro-tro stretched his body across her and, spat out of the window. Would you believe that the idiot hawked up some phlegm and wanted to repeat the same action? Unbelievable!! My mom stopped him before he could and asked him to swallow his gob of slimy mucus. Thank God!!!!

Public spitting is a serious issue which is widely seen as a social menace, but rarely condemned! Spitting in Ghana happens in practically every locality, by nearly all levels of society from the labourer at the site to the conductor of a bus/trotro mate. Most of the time, the “spitter” is not even aware that this is a nasty habit, which can annoy or even injure others. Spitting phlegm, along with other habits such as blowing of the nose, and sneezing without covering the nose are harmful to public health. It is quite well proved that diseases such as tuberculosis, influenza, pneumonia, chicken pox, diphtheria, endemic fever and whooping cough are spread rapidly by phlegm and spit.

Above all, spitting in the open shows a strong lack of civic sense and a disregard to public property and shared resources. I personally believe that the Ministry of Health as well as other organizations that seek to promote health issues should, structure out a program that would create awareness among public about the diseases spread through this act of spitting in open places, and encourage people to abstain from such habits by practicing oral hygiene and self control.

Oh, and please stop the hawking and spitting if you are guilty of this practice.