The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has urged the government to strengthen tobacco control measures as it commemorates ‘World No Tobacco Day’.
The CSO made the appeal at a press conference it organised on 31st May, 2024 in Kano, to celebrate and also to call the attention of the world and people in authority to take decisive action to curb the menace of tobacco use.
The event, which is aligned with the WHO’s theme: “Protecting children from tobacco industry interference,” aimed to address the tobacco industry’s targeting of youth, explore its harmful consequences, and discuss measures to safeguard Nigerian youth.
While speaking at the conference, Solomon Adoga, a Senior Program Officer at CISLAC, on behalf of the organisation’s Executive Director, Auwal Ibrahim Musa Rafsanjani, has called on the government to strengthen tobacco control measures for the protection of children from the deadly effect of tobacco consumptions.
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The CSO as an organisation which has been in the forefront of tobacco control advocacy in Nigeria, clearly stated the measures should include ban on tobacco advertisement, promotion and sponsorship, enforce ban misleading packaging and strict adherence to enforcement of graphic health warnings on all cigarette packs as well as increase tax on tobacco products to reduce affordability among children.
“CISLAC is very much aware of the interference tactics which the industry deploys to get the children and young people to their addictive and poisonous product.”
“Our children and young people are at the most vulnerable stages of life, where they need to be guided to most effective life choices,” it said.
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