Tobacco.org

Ban of cigarette in Abuja: FCTA’s clarion call to the media 

“Who is the next journalist we are going to lose to smoking-related disease?” We lost Steve Kadiri, we lost Yinka Craig, and we lost Kubanji Momoh. Why is it that NUJ secretariats across the country are like smoking dens unlike the secretariats of other professional bodies? said Akinbode Oluwafemi, a former journalist with the Guardian Newspaper, and an activist against cigarette smoking in the countr .

Oluwafemi equally expressed worry that despite their exposure and knowledge, the late journalists, Dr. Beko Ransome Kuti, as well as the late songstress, Tina Onwudiwe who were chain smokers during their life time shared the same fate as they all died of tobacco related diseases. According to him, Tina Onwudiwe who reportedly died of cancer started smoking cigarette at the age of 16.

The Programme Manager for Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth, Nigeria, who was in Abuja for a one day workshop on ‘Tobacco and the Media’ queried journalists on how long they would remain silent while tobacco smoking continues to take away some of the nation’s valuable ones.

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NAN, FCTA to partner on ban on smoking 

Mrs Oluremi Oyo, Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), has assured the FCT Administration that the Agency would partner with it in its fight against tobacco smoking.

Oyo gave the assurance in Abuja on Tuesday when she received members of the FCT Committee on `the Ban on Smoking in Public Places’ led by Mrs Habiba Kalgo, the Secretary, FCT Social Development Secretariat.

Oyo described smoking as anti-social and said that NAN welcomed partnerships that would have positive impact on the lives of Nigerians.

``We understand your labour of love and I want to pledge on behalf of my colleagues that you can count on NAN.

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Tobacco control bill will safeguard health-C’ttee 

The new anti-tobacco bill, presently before the National Assembly, is meant to safeguard the health of Nigerians, the FCT Committee on the Ban on Smoking in Public Places has said.

FCT Secretary, Social Development Secretariat, Barrister Habiba Sani Kalgo, who stated this yesterday when she led a delegation on a courtesy call to the Media Trust office, said people should stay away from smoking in order to imbibe a healthy living.

Represented by the Director, Gender Development in the Secretariat, Mrs. Hannatu D. Atar, the Secretary advised youths and adults alike on the dangers of smoking, which, according to her, leads to diseases such as cancer, tuberculosis and heart attack.

Mrs. Atar said membership of the committee cuts across agencies, departments and secretariats in the FCT Administration, called on media houses to partner with the committee in educating and enlightening our youths on the danger of the use of tobacco.

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BAT gets reward for responsibility 

The British American Tobacco Nigeria (BATN) has been awarded the best company in Sustainability Reporting for 2009. The award was given by the Jury of the 2009 SERA Awards in Lagos, a statement from BATN said.

According to the organizers of the awards, BAT performed better than other companies in the evidence of serving real needs and response to stakeholder needs.

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EDITORIAL: WHO On Passive Smoking 

The warning by the World Health Organisation (WHO) that passive smoking constitutes a global threat, is revealing and must be checked.

The UN agency had in its second major report on the "tobacco epidemic" released last week, said second-hand or passive smoking killed nearly 600,000 people each year. WHO, which also warned that tobacco is still the leading preventable cause of death, killing five million people every year, said more and more people were likely to suffer from the harmful effects of passive smoking. . . .

There is no gainsaying that smoking places a huge burden on health care provisions all around the world. Governments should, therefore, embark on aggressive public enlightenment campaigns to sensitise Nigerians on the effects of passive smoking, and indeed, smoking in general. No effort should be spared to ensure that Nigerians stay healthy.

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• Nigerians consume 93m sticks of cigarette yearly—Modibbo 

Over 93 million sticks of cigarette are consumed yearly by Nigerians.

This is coming on the heels of the report of the World Health Organisation (WHO), which revealed that over 8 million people died yearly from tobacco-related diseases world-wide.

Former Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Dr. Aliyu Modibbo, who disclosed this in Abuja while receiving an award as the WHO’s Man of the year 2009 on tobacco control, said he was shocked to the bone marrow, when the British American Tobacco, (BAT) informed him that it produces 93 million cigarettes, which Nigerians consumed yearly.

"I was so happy when I visited BAT on invitation in Ibadan, where there told me that they produce 93 million sticks of cigarette yearly, but when I asked them which country they export them to, they said it is all consumed here in Nigeria," he said.

Modibbo, who said he was delighted for the award, explained that he got into the fight against cigarette smoking by chance, revealing that when he was the Minister of FCT, he introduced the initiative because he understands the danger inherent in tobacco smoking.

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SmokeFree Foundation hosts First Nigerian Tobacco Control Youth Symposium 

The SmokeFree Foundation, (a Smoke-freeNigeria Initiative)a foremost Nigerian NGO whose aim is to educate the youths on the dangers of tobacco smoking held its first ever SmokeFree Youth Symposium at the St. Agnes Convention Center at Maryland, in Lagos State, recently.

The two-day Symposium tagged:- Share, Synergize, Sustain, brought together passionate and change hungry youths from all over the country to discuss and strategize ways to effectively curtail tobacco smoking in Nigeria and also empower the participants with necessary skills to effectively spread the message of anti-tobacco smoking.

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EDITORIAL: WHO on passive smoking 

The warning by the World Health Organisation (WHO) that passive smoking constitutes a global threat, is revealing and must be checked.

The UN agency had in its second major report on the “tobacco epidemic” released last week, said second-hand or passive smoking killed nearly 600,000 people each year. WHO, which also warned that tobacco is still the leading preventable cause of death, killing five million people every year, said more and more people were likely to suffer from the harmful effects of passive smoking. . . .

For Nigeria, which is a signatory to the WHO FCTC, the challenge posed by passive smoking is by no means less daunting. Although there are no available data on passive smoking, a report by an Expert Committee on Non-communicable diseases in 1988 certified that 4.5 million Nigerians were smokers. . . .

It is pertinent to add that it was during Olikoye’s tenure as Health Minister under the Ibrahim Babangida regime, that a law against smoking in public places was enacted. Unfortunately, the law all but exists in name as a report by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) had it that over 60 per cent of Nigerian undergraduates smoked. Given the very lax nature of the law on smoking and the general lack of awareness about passive smoking in the country and its consequences, it is not unlikely that the general population are at risk. . . .

There is no gainsaying that smoking places a huge burden on health care provisions all around the world. Governments should, therefore, embark on aggressive public enlightenment campaigns to sensitise Nigerians on the effects of passive smoking, and indeed, smoking in general. No effort should be spared to ensure that Nigerians stay healthy.

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• Anti-smoking law: Only 1% of Nigerians are protected by smoke-free laws —Report, 

Only one per cent of Nigeria’s over 140 million people are protected by strong smoke-free laws, a new report released last Wednesday by Global Smokefree Partnership and the American Cancer Society has revealed.

Besides, the report also stated that in Abuja, Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory, 55 per cent of school pupils were not aware that secondhand smoke is harmful to health.

Medical experts had repeatedly said there was scientific evidence that secondhand smoke was a proven cause of serious diseases and premature death.

According to the report, “Global Voices: Rebutting the Tobacco Industry, Winning Smokefree Air,” nearly 90 per cent of people on the African continent are without meaningful protection from secondhand smoke. . . .

The South Africa’s inspiring role, the report added, was an indication that smoke-free laws could work on the continent.

“In a first for the region, Mauritius recently passed a law that is close to meeting the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control standards, ranking among the strongest anti-smoking measures in the world,” the report stated.

But it said implementation remained a challenge in many places such as Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana and Uganda, adding that “barriers include identifying resources for implementation, and tobacco industry opposition to smoke-free laws.”

For instance, a Lagos-based lawyer, Mr. Fred Agbaj, regretted that since anti-smoking law was passed in 1990, Nigerian law enforcement agencies were yet to arrest and prosecute any violator.

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• Court Dismisses Tobacco Firms' Applications  

A Lagos High Court has dismissed three applications seeking to strike out the names of International Tobacco Company Limited, British American Tobacco Plc and British American Tobacco (investment) Limited from the $21 billion suit instituted by the Lagos State Government and Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth, Nigeria (ERA/FoEN).

Ruling on the Notice of Preliminary Objection brought by the three defendants pursuant to Order 3 Rule 9 and Order 6 Rule 10 of the Lagos State [Civil Procedure] Rules 2004 and Section 98 and 99 of the Sheriffs and Civil Process Act. Cap 56, 2004, the trial judge, Justice Bukola Raliatu Adebiyi, held that the three tobacco companies are necessary parties to the suit and that their presence would be necessary to enable the court effectively and completely adjudicate on the suit.

The Judge said, "The court finds upon careful perusal of the Statement of Claim that the 3rd and 4th defendants are necessary parties to the suit as the presence will be necessary to enable the court effectively and completely adjudicate upon and settle all the questions in controversy.

" Following from the above reasoning, the court finds that the suit against the 2nd, 3rd and 4th defendants are not liable to be struck out. In accordance with the above findings the applications of the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th defendants fail in their entirety and are accordingly dismissed."

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• VIDEO: Nigeria's smoking habit 

Tobacco kills close to five million people yearly worldwide with over 70 percent of deaths occurring in developing countries including Nigeria where about 12 percent of the population are addicted to nicotine.

Now the Nigerian parliament seems to have responded with a tobacco control bill.

If passed, this could be the biggest tobacco crackdown in the history of Nigeria.

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BATN executes 82 projects in 34 states 

About 82 projects have so far been executed in 34 states of the country by the British American Tobacco of Nigeria (BATN) Foundation as part of its contributions to the country, Director of the Foundation, Dr. Ladi Hamalai, has said.

The BATN Foundation which is a community empowerment organisation, was established six years ago to improve the lives of Nigerians especially those in the rural areas. Speaking at the commissioning of a workshop and borehole donated by the Foundation to the Business Apprentice Training Centre, Sabon Gari,� Zaria, she said the projects covered four focal areas including agricultural development, provision of potable water, skills development� and environment protection programmes. . . .

Commissioning the project, the Emir of Zazzau, Dr. Shehu Idris, commended the Foundation and urged other multinational organisations in the country to emulate them. He urged the management and students of the school to take care of the buildings and tools donated to them, pledging the support of the emirate.

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• Nigeria Considers Tough Tobacco Control Legislation 

The Nigerian parliament is currently debating sweeping new tobacco control legislation in a bid to break the growing tobacco addiction in the country. The bill has strong backing from anti-tobacco groups and health organizations.

"Change starts from now. I dare to be different. I will remain smoke-free. I am the future, and the future starts now, So help me God. I am smoke free!!!," recite students at Shepherd Secondary School in Ketu in Lagos.

Students of the Shepherd Secondary School in Ketu, a poor neighborhood in Nigeria's sprawling city of Lagos, recite a "no-smoking pledge" at the end of a two-hour anti-tobacco lecture. The program is part of a grassroots initiative by anti-tobacco campaigners to counter growing cigarette smoking, particularly among teens in Nigeria.

About 25 percent of Nigerian teens, some as young as 10, are hooked on tobacco, double the smoking rate among men.

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EDITORIAL: Fast track the tobacco control bill 

The Senate’s decision to commence public hearing last week on the Nigeria National Tobacco Control (NNTC ) bill, which is aimed at domesticating the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control ( FCTC ) has once again brought to the fore the debate on the societal cost of tobacco production and consumption in Nigeria. Nigeria ratified the FCTC treaty in 2005, but little is being done to regulate tobacco production and consumption in the country.

Sponsored by Senator Olorunnibe Mamora ( AC, Lagos ), the proposed law which is an upgrade of the existing, but defective Tobacco Control Act of 1990 seeks to control the production, sale and use of tobacco products in the country. The bill would also, among other provisions, seeks to regulate the involvement of tobacco companies in corporate social responsibility ( CSR ) . . .

We therefore need to borrow a leaf from the west and regulate the infiltration of tobacco firms into the country under the guise of industrialisation. Though we know it would be a tough decision for the Senators to choose between the economy and the health implication of tobacco, there is need however for the lawmakers to demonstrate courage and show commitment in this direction.

As the nation awaits the passage of the bill, government at all levels must also intensify public enlightenment campaigns on the health implication of tobacco consumption. We also expect the health ministry to carry out a comprehensive research and analysis on the impact of cigarette smoking in order to produce a data that would serve as a reference point in the future when the need arise. This is imperative because it would be foolhardy for the country to always rely on data produced by foreign organisations for our national development.

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• How Tobacco Bill Provoked Controversy in Senate  

Wife of former Chief Justice of Nigeria and member of the African Union Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, Mrs. Maryam Uwais and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello are engaged in a healthy, even if needless, argument on the propriety or otherwise of disallowing children to participate in the recently-held public hearing on the Tobacco Control Bill in the Senate. Sufuyan Ojeifo examines the tenor of the controversy

The purpose of the public hearing on the Tobacco Control Bill held on July 20 and 21, this year, in the Senate Hearing Room One, was to get stakeholders’ input into the Bill, preparatory to the Third Reading (clause-by-clause consideration and passage).

From the various submissions at the hearing, it was evident that the anti-Tobacco Control Bill groups were in the minority. The majority groups understandably succeeded in swaying public sentiments in favour of the Bill, which was sponsored by Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora. . . .

Specifically, the proposed legislation is entitled: “A Bill for an Act to Repeal the Tobacco (Control) Act 1990 Cap T16 Laws of the Federation and to Enact the National Tobacco Control Bill 2009 to provide for the Regulation or Control of Production, Manufacture, Sale, Advertising, Promotion and Sponsorship of Tobacco or Tobacco Products in Nigerian and for other Relates Matters.”

Expectedly, the issue was controversial. Apart from the British America Tobacco Nigeria (BATN), which attempted a diplomatic opposition, there was groundswell of support for the Bill. It agreed that tobacco had impact on public health, but supported appropriate regulation the industry as it would help to reduce the impact.

But the controversy that has unexpectedly bludgeoned its way into the public domain on account of the public hearing, organised by the Senate Committee on Health under the Chair of Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, centres on the propriety or otherwise of disallowing some school children to air their views on the occasion.

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