In Nigeria, the anti-tobacco communities are at the forefront of ensuring smoke-free public places. Over 40 civil society groups, legal practitioners and public health advocates storm the Senate Hearing Room of the National Assembly Complex, Abuja, on July 21 and 22 to present their memorandum in support of the National Tobacco Control Bill, NTCB 2009.
The Nigeria National Tobacco Control Bill is a comprehensive law which when passed will regulate the manufacturing, advertising distribution and consumption of tobacco products in Nigeria.
It is a bill that is aimed at domesticating the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) because Nigeria is a party to that international convention.
Nigeria signed the WHO FCTC in 2004 and ratified it in 2005. It enacted the National Tobacco Control Act (NTCA Act) 2015 to accommodate the provisions of the WHO FCTC.
The key highlights of the bill are the prohibition of smoking in public places; including restaurants and bars, public transportation, schools, hospitals etc.
A ban on all forms of direct and indirect advertising, prohibition of sales of cigarettes 1000-meter radius of areas designated as non-smoking, mass awareness about the danger of smoking as well as the formation of a committee that will guide the government on the issue of tobacco control in the country.
The questions now are:
1. Has the Nigerian government jettisoned this anti-smoking ACT?
2. Who is monitoring the implementation of this law?
3. How many people have been apprehended till now?
These and many other questions are begging for answers.
The Customs seize and burn bundles of cannabis and other hard drugs on a daily basis, just to reduce the consumption of these dangerous substances but the complimentary demand for cigarettes has not been given the desired attention.
Our motor parks, clubhouses, and cinemas are all littered with smokers including teenagers, smoking in public places. Most of commercial drivers are already high on their wheels before taking off on their trips hence various accidents on our highways.
It is high time the government did something about this aspect of the social life of the people at least to curtail consumption thereby increasing the life span of the youths and adults; as the Surgeon General has said,” smokers are liable to die young.”