Groups ask FG to enforce law regulating tobacco use

The Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance (NTCA) and Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth, Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) have asked the federal government to enforce the National Tobacco Control (NTC) Act 2015 to protect the youth from the dangers of tobacco use.

On the occasion of the world no tobacco day 2020, the groups, in a statement on Saturday, asked the government to also enforce the ban on sale of cigarettes to and by minors.

“Protecting Youth from Industry Manipulation and Preventing Them from Tobacco and Nicotine Use” is the theme of this year’s world no tobacco day which is commemorated on May 31.

“The theme of the year 2020 WNTD should be a wake-up call to governments around the world, and particularly the Nigeria government, that they must act decisively because our youth are now endangered species,” Akinbode Oluwafemi, deputy executive director of ERA/FoEN, said.

According to him, statistics showed that 17% of young people between the ages of 15 and 24 smoke worldwide.

He said in low and middle income countries like Nigeria, the figures are set to increase as the tobacco industry takes advantage of the poor enforcement of tobacco control laws to deepen their reach to the young population.

“Aside the availability of traditional tobacco products on demand, the social media space which the youth dominate has also been encroached upon by the tobacco industry to promote their so-called novel products that have been responsible for disturbing death rates across the globe,” he added.

Oluseun Esan, alliance coordinator of NTCA, said the message of the World Health Organisation (WHO) is clear on the need for government intervention in order to ensure a sustainable future for the youth.

“Fortunately, the protections that the Nigeria youth need to dodge the booby traps of the tobacco industry are enshrined in our tobacco control law. It is now left for the Nigeria government to enforce them,” Esan said.

“As the toll of the COVID-19 pandemic bites harder, the tobacco industry has equally heightened its image laundering and marketing of its harmful products to the youth in subtle ways.

“The youth must now reject their lethal products and it is the responsibility of our government to help make this happen.

“Now more than any other time is the time the Nigeria government must act pro-actively to save our youth; tomorrow might be too late.”