Reps to review tobacco law, says nicotine, drug abuse national crisis

The House of Representatives has announced plans to review the National Tobacco Control Act to tackle the use of new nicotine products, especially e-cigarettes and vape devices.

Timehin Adelegbe, chairman of the committee on Drugs and Illicit Trafficking disclosed this paln during a courtesy visit by the Committee to the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) headquarters in Abuja.

The chairman noted that the recent current tobacco laws do not fully address new products, stressing the need for stronger border controls and enforcement.

While describing illicit drugs and related products as a national crisis, Adelegbe explained that the committee would review extant laws regulating tobacco products, illicit cigarettes, bonded warehouses and border operations.

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“We must check if the laws are enough. Are bonded warehouses following the rules? Do we have enough staff at the borders? These are issues we need to address,” Adelegbe said.

He added that tackling the crisis would require coordinated action among agencies like the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), and Customs.

He also revealed plans for nationwide campaigns in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Abuja, and other states to raise awareness about the dangers of drug abuse and unregulated tobacco products, urging Customs to support the effort.

Responding, Timi Bomodi, deputy comptroller-General of Customs in charge of Enforcement, Investigation and Inspection, welcomed the initiative and reaffirmed Customs’ commitment to fighting illegal trade.

Bomodi said that in the past year, Customs intercepted over 230 forty-foot containers of illegally imported pharmaceuticals, many exceeding NAFDAC limits or falsely declared.

He also highlighted major cocaine seizures, including 22 parcels at Seme Command and more than 1,000 kilogrammes at Lagos ports, some hidden in ship hulls.