‘Tobacco kills 28,000 Nigerians annually’

The Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance (NTCA) says over 28,000 people die in Nigeria annually from tobacco use.

NTCA Chairman, Akinbode Mathew Oluwafemi, said this yesterday in Abuja at a media conference to intensify the enforcement of graphic health warnings on all tobacco products.

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He said while recent survey showed a significant increase in the compliance level on cigarette packs, with an estimated 90 percent, the compliance level of snuff and shisha, which he said had become notoriously popular among young people, was estimated to be below 10 percent.

“As an alliance, we’ve continued to work to strengthen the gains made so far on the policy. Therefore, as recently as October 2022, we commissioned a survey to ascertain the compliance level of the policy on all tobacco products in the country.

“The survey was carried out in Ekiti, Adamawa, Cross River, Abia, Abuja and Kano. When results from this survey were compared with results from a similar survey we conducted in 2021, the results showed a significant increase in the compliance level on cigarette packs, with an estimated 90% compliance,” Oluwafemi said.

He said since the National Tobacco Control Act 2015 and the National Tobacco Control Regulations of 2019, tobacco companies only used graphic health warnings on cigarette products.

The alliance also urged the Nigeria Police Force, Federal Ministries of Health and Environment as well as the National Security and Civil Defense Corps and all agencies charged with monitoring and enforcing of the National Tobacco Control Act to wake up to their responsibilities.