The tobacco challenge

As the 2009 World No Tobacco Day was marked yesterday, with its theme focusing on “Tobacco Health Warnings” it is pertinent to reflect on the challenge posed by tobacco smoking in our environment.

Various organs of government in Nigeria have been battling with the habit of tobacco smoking with all intents of curbing the spread of tobacco smoking, but with seemingly dismal results. More needs to be done.
Medical research has shown that tobacco smoking is linked to many diseases and poses risk in gradual deterioration of the health of smokers. There is also the danger from environmental pollution arising from the activities of tobacco firms. The response to these revelations has been the carrying of health alerts, in a very conspicuous and visible manner, on cigarette packs. However, these alerts have not effectively curbed the spread of cigarette smoking, and increasingly, children are at risk.

According to World Health Organisation (WHO) report, worldwide death toll caused by tobacco smoking would be reaching 10 million by 2020. In developed countries this same menace is responsible for 17.7 per cent of deaths. In Nigeria, 25 different diseases are all traceable to tobacco smoking.

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While government and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) struggle with curbing the spread of smoking and discouraging the habit, the tobacco firms are still making huge profits. It may become necessary to tax these companies more, but it has also been shown that increases in price of tobacco have minimal effect on the quantity consumed. In this context, more than increases in the price of tobacco through its cost price is not the only answer. Much more is required.
It has become very important to look into the area of tobacco importation. If not checked properly, it has the potential to come in cheaply, and thus improve accessibility to children, as it is well known that they make their choice based only on price. The various tiers of government should appropriately tax tobacco production and importation into Nigeria. The government is also required to channel resources from the industry into smoking health areas. Government needs the money to provide adequate healthcare for these smokers and other members of the society who are victims of the environmental pollution from tobacco firms’ activities.
We need more laws to restrict the distribution and consumption of this openly advertised killer-product, especially amongst children. This is important to eliminate next generation of smokers. We have the Tobacco Smoking (Control) Act, Decree 20 of 1990 and recently the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) banned smoking in public places within the FCT. We are also aware of some levies and taxies specifically targeted at discouraging tobacco smoking in Nigeria, but the results are still minimal with increasing health risks and rising death toll traceable to smoking habits. If the taxes are appropriate, then we could beam searchlight on the possibility of smuggling of this product either in its finished form or as raw material into the country.
The situation is quite grave as our youths are increasingly using cigarette to promote self esteem, the health implications notwithstanding. This portends danger for the health and wellbeing of the people of Nigeria. Our control system is not as developed as in the western world. This makes it possible for under-aged people to have across-the-counter access to very sensitive substances that are supposed to be classified and administered under professional supervision. There is need for more appropriate control in order to save our human capital.