Tobacco.org

Public hearing on Tobacco Bill begins at Senate tomorrow 

THE first public hearing on the proposed National Tobacco Control Bill holds at the Senate tomorrow.

Senator Olurunnibe Mamora has sponsored the bill at the Upper House to check unrestricted marketing, selling and smoking of tobacco in whatever form.

A World Health Organsation (WHO) research has shown that 175 million people would die in the next 10 years as a result of tobacco smoking.

The bill, which has received strong support from the Environmental Right Action (ERA) and Coalition Against Tobacco, two non-governmental organisation (NGOs), aims at ensuring that long-term damaging effects of tobacco on its smokers is curtailed.

Co-ordinator of Coalition Against Tobacco, Mrs. Olatoyosi Onaolapo, who spoke with journalists at the weekend in Abeokuta, disclosed that the organisation had embarked on intensive lobbying to ensure the passage of the bill as a matter of urgency.

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• Senate denies bribery allegation on tobacco law 

No senator has been bribed to influence the passage or otherwise of the National Tobacco Control Bill, Senate President David Mark said yesterday while declaring the public hearing on the bill open.

Senator Mark said the issue of checking cigarette smoking was contentious as there are global lobbyists for ban of tobacco smoking as there are also organisations against the ban saying, “I have heard all sorts of stories about lobbyists trying to see that the public hearing does not go on, or that lobbyists insist that the public hearing must go on.

We must begin to accept that our legislators are patriotic Nigerians they don’t need to take money in any form to do anything at all. There is too much rumour in the air, rumour based on nothing absolutely.

If you have a strong case, make your case, when you fail to make your case then you go with the excuse that people have been bribed that that has happened nobody is going to bribe anybody on any bill that will come before the Senate or the House of Representatives any bill that comes here will pass through the normal process.”

The Senate President expressed reservation on the bill saying “I will remain neutral on this bill because the two key issues are health versus economy. How many jobs can we provide from the tobacco industry? How many people are going to lose their jobs now if the tobacco industries are not able to produce in this country? More importantly, if the tobacco Industries here close down, will it stop Nigerians from smoking?

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• Nigeria's tobacco lobby fumes over anti-tobacco bill  

British American Tobacco Nigeria and the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria on Tuesday expressed their opposition to a proposed anti-tobacco bill to be discussed in parliament.

The bill seeks to ban smoking in public places and forbids persons under the age of 18 to sell and buy tobacco products.

The proposed law, which would amend the 1990 Tobacco Control Laws of Nigeria, also forbids communication between the manufacturers and consumers.

The bill, if passed into law, "will force legal tobacco companies out of business because they will be forced to shut down their operations", a representative of British American Tobacco Nigeria (BATN), Tony Okwoju, told a public hearing, organised by the senate committee on health.

He said that certain provisions in the bill were "either extreme and would have unintended consequences or will only make it difficult or impossible for the legal industry to operate without necessarily achieving the desired objective of reducing the impact of tobacco on public health".

"The effect of passing a law that is not adequately considered is that it will undermine its own intentions by placing tobacco outside of the control of the regulator, thereby leaving those who continue to smoke at the mercy of smugglers," said Okwoju.

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‘6.5 million Nigerians may die from tobacco addiction’ 

The Senate Committee on Health, yesterday, heard that an estimated 6.5 million Nigerians are on death row due to tobacco addiction.

This figure was given by Mr. Aknibode Oluwafemi, Programme Manager of Environmental Rights Actions/Friends of the Earth in a presentation to the Senate Committee on Health at the two-day public hearing on the bill to amend the National Tobacco Control Act, in Abuja.

Oluwafemi also told the Committee that the result of study conducted in Abuja, Lagos, Kano and Ibadan had shown an increase in number of youth smokers to alarming 26 per cent, saying two people die every day in Lagos from tobacco related diseases.

He said: “The National Control Bill is a bold step towards addressing tobacco use and its attendant’s health, social, economic and environmental cost. Adult smoking rate in Nigeria is put at 17 per cent.”

Earlier in her remark, Chairman of the Committee, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, stressed on the need to regulate tobacco smoking in Nigeria due to its harmful effect on the health on Nigerians.

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NGO worries over smoking by youths  

A Non-governmental Organisation, Kidcare Consults, has embarked on aggressive enlightenment campaign against the debilitating effects of smoking, especially in youths. The campaign is executed partly by convening of workshops where young children are exposed to the dangers of smoking.

National Co-ordinator of the group, Mrs. Abimbola Kolade, who disclosed this in Lagos at a function organised to mark this year’s “World No Tobacco Day”, said the exercise was the organisation’s contribution to global efforts against tobacco smoking.

“In solidarity with efforts and activities being organised by stakeholders all over the world, young children and KidCare Consults are creating awareness on smoking tobacco; public awareness programmes are being targeted at youth in schools and the community the organisation exists and these programmes are expected to be extended to other states.

“Apart from organising enlightenment programmes for the young ones, KidCare Consults also employs other communication strategies to create awareness on the serious health consequences of tobacco use and other dangerous drugs.”

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Don calls for improvement in health sector  


Nigeria may not join the rest of the world in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) come 2015 unless there are urgent intervention to improve its health indices, Dean, Faculty of Dental Sciences, University of Ibadan, Professor Gbemisola Oke has warned.

 Prof. Gbemisola Oke who gave the verdict at the 3rd annual scientific conference of the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, tagged “Oral Health and the Millennium Development Goals” also called for development of policies that will accord priority to Oral health in the country. . . .

Continuing, the University Don cautioned on the consumption of tobacco smoking in the crusade for improved Oral health, saying that tobacco smoking if not checked would continue to impact adversely to health, poverty, malnutrition and education, and declared that increase in tobacco smoking will continue to pose a direct threat to the MDGs unless something is done to stop it.

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FG to stop tobacco smoking 

The Minister of Health, Professor Babatunde Osotimehin yesterday revealed the Federal Government’s commitment to check the consumption of tobacco in the country, just as the Senate Committee on Health also disclosed that it had perfected arrangement to ensure the passage of the National Tobacco Control Bill.

Professor Osotimehin who spoke at an interactive session organised by the sponsor of the Bill, Senator Olurunimbe Mamora in Abuja decried the huge impact of the harmful effect tobacco smoking is having on the citizens.

He said the government being conscious of the security and welfare of the people, would do anything to pass the law against tobacco consumption.

He said, “I want to tell you that I am very passionate about anti-tobacco legislation. This British-American Tobacco (BAT) people once came to talk to me on how we could work together but I said no! I cannot work with BAT people because the human cost of tobacco is enormous.

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LETTER: Let’s Emulate America on Tobacco  

What is strikingly startling is the fact that more than 400,000 Americans die from tobacco-related diseases annually. Although we may not have accurate statistics on how many people die from it in Nigeria, I know, the situation in Nigeria is no less disturbing than the situation in America hence the need and urgency to do without delay, what the American congress has done.

Nigeria does not have the capacity in terms of health facilities to tackle adequately the menace posed by tobacco consumption and must save her ignorant smoker-citizens the pain of untimely death and cancer this product causes. The whole word is moving on the fast lane of checking and curbing avoidable deaths and we must not be left behind. There must be a vigorous campaign to sensitize the public on the dangers of smoking and consumption of other tobacco products and it is high time the government intervened in regulating the nicotine level of tobacco products manufactured in Nigeria or imported into Nigeria.

Now that the American Congress has taken this bold stop, tobacco manufacturers will begin to shift their market targets to the Third World countries an the only way to check the infiltration of our country with unwholesome tobacco products rejected in America is to adopt a similar measure.

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FG Bans Fresh Investment in Tobacco  

The Federal Government may have banned fresh investments in the tobacco and allied industry. Smoking and the pervasive use of tobacco products is a risk factor for several diseases and has been increasing in many developing countries. In 2000, 4·83 million of premature deaths in the world were attributable to smoking with 2·41 million occuring in developing countries and 2·43 million in industrialised countries.

Executive Secretary and CEO of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), Mustafa Bello, made this disclosure at the just concluded 2nd Nigeria-Japan Business and Investment Forum, which took place in the cities of Osaka and Tokyo.

Bello, had in response to an inquiry from a prospective Japanese investor, said that the Federal Government in line with global efforts at stemming the use of tobacco products and isolating manufacturers of the product may not be well disposed to fresh investments in that sector.

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LETTER: FDA tobacco regulation: Can Nigeria follow suit?  

What is strikingly startling is the fact that more than 400,000 Americans die from tobacco-related diseases annually. Although we may not have accurate statistics on how many people die from it in Nigeria but I know, the situation in Nigeria is no less disturbing than the situation in America, hence the need and urgency to do without delay, what the American Congress has done.

Nigeria does not have the capacity in terms of health facilities to tackle adequately the menace posed by tobacco consumption and must save her ignorant smoker-citizens the pain of untimely death and cancer this product causes. The whole world is moving on the fast lane of checking and curbing avoidable deaths and we must not be left behind. There must be a vigorous campaign to sensitise the public on the dangers of smoking and consumption of other tobacco products and it is high time the government intervened in regulating the nicotine level of tobacco products manufactured in Nigeria or imported into Nigeria.

Now that the American Congress has taken this bold step, tobacco manufacturers will begin to shift their market targets to the Third World countries and the only way to check the infiltration of our country with unwholesome tobacco products rejected in America is to adopt a similar measure.

Our National Assembly men must realise that being a Senator or a Representative is more than fighting for constituency project money or embarking on a foreign jamboree. They owe the people they represent the duty to make laws that positively impact on their lives, laws that ensure the enhancement of their health status. Nigerians including the President have shown concern about the number of bills passed into law so far by the National Assembly and the value of such bills in terms of their direct bearing and effect on the well-being of citizens of Nigeria.

It is time for the National Assembly to wake up to their responsibilities and start doing what is beneficial to the generality of Nigerians especially the endangered species like smokers even if the move to help them is unpopular among them.

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‘Many Nigerians Are Ignorant Of The Dangers In Smoking’ – Findings 

The World Health Organisation (WHO), set aside May 31, every year for the celebration of ``the World No Tobacco Day''.

The day was inaugurated in 1987 by the organisation to draw global attention to the prevalence of tobacco use and its attendant health hazards.

But as the world marked the 2009 edition of the event, many Nigerian smokers and even non-smokers are still ignorant of the dangers of smoking.

For Malam Nuhu Abubakar, who operates a provision store (kiosk) at Ikwerre Road in Port Harcourt, the cigarette business brings him more money daily.

He said that cigarette smokers patronised his shop more than other customers. . . .

However, if smokers in Nigeria realise the health hazards of the habit, it would make some of them to stop smoking.

Perhaps, available statistics from WHO on smoking could make some of them to quit the habit.

WHO said that about 15 billion cigarettes are sold daily or 10 million sold every minute.

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FG to Enforce Ban on Smoking  

The Federal Government is set to enforce the no smoking ban in public places in the Federal Capital Territory and advocate for a legislation to ensure its total ban in the country.

The Minister of Health, Professor Babatunde Osotimehin who gave the hint while speaking during the world no tobacco, lamented that 'tobacco is the leading preventable cause of death in the world, responsible for many diseases.

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Nass Tasked On New Tobacco Bill  

JUST as the World Health Organization (WHO) last week urged governments to require that all tobacco packages include pictorial warnings to show the sickness and suffering caused by tobacco use, a call has been made to the members of the National Assembly to urgently pass the new tobacco bill standing before the senate with a view to persuade tobacco companies in Nigeria to start putting pictorial and graphical health warnings on their packages as it is done in other countries of the world.Making this call at a seminar organised by the Nigerian Heart Foundation (NHF) on the 2009 World No Tobacco Day in Lagos, President of NHF, Engr. Oluyomi Adeyemi-Wilson regretted that tobacco companies in Nigeria have not been putting pictorial and graphical health warnings on their packages as it is done in countries like Canada, India, Singapore amongst others.

Stating that the theme of this year's celebration was "Tobacco Health Warnings," he explained that health warnings on tobacco product packaging are critical to any effective tobacco control strategy.

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• Gombe files N591 billion suit against tobacco companies  

THE Gombe State government has dragged five tobacco companies before the Gombe State High Court on charges that they have been targeting minors with their products in the state in the last 20 years with a view to making them addicts.

In the suit before a high court judge, Abdul Hamed Yusuf, the state government is demanding N591 billion from British American Tobacco (Nigeria) Ltd, International Tobacco Limited, British America Tobacco Plc, British America Tobacco (Investment) Ltd, and Philip Morris International.

It is one of several class action suits filed by some states and the Federal Government against tobacco companies operating in the country. . . .

The case has been adjourned to July 2, 2009 to allow the plaintiff serve all the parties in the suit.

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• ‘13m Nigerians’re Smokers’ 

The average rate of active smokers in Nigeria was yesterday put at 13 million , while adult smoking rate was put at 17 percent.

Speaking at the sensitisation meeting for members of Osun State House of Assembly on Osun State proposed Smoke Free Bill, the State Commissioner for Health,Lanre Afolabi, noted that since half smokers die of tobacco related diseases, it also showed that over 6.5 million Nigerians are on death row due to tobacco addiction.

The commissioner stressed that it was alarming that in 2003 the overall prevalence of tobacco for youths in Nigeria was 18.1 percent and for senior executive 13.9 percent. He also gave the figure of the rapidly growing annual average rate of tobacco use in Africa and developing countries as 4.7 percent compared with the 3.4 percent of other countries.

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