FG calls for strict regulation of tobacco industry

The Federal Government has stated the need to ensure strict regulation of tobacco industry in accordance with the country’s legislation and global best practices. THE PUNCH reports.informationguidenigeria

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, disclosed this recently in Lagos at the formal lunch of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission tobacco control advocacy campaign, tagged ‘Don’t burn their future’.

Pate was represented at the event by the Chairman of the Tobacco Control Unit, Federal Ministry of Health, Dr Malau Toma, noted that for every $1 a country gains from tobacco, $3 more was expended on healthcare costs as a result of its ill effects.

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The minister explained that tobacco harms national economies, sustainable development and environment as well as re-enforces, recycles and perpetuates poverty, “through several generations, especially among low-income earners who invest their monies to service their tobacco addiction”.

Pate said the tobacco industry, in ensuring that its business remained profitable, had harnessed its energy in flooding the markets with newer products, “while often circumventing the law in tobacco advertisement, promotions, celebrity endorsements, corporate social responsibility, and recruitment of new users to replace the old tobacco users who are in transition to premature mortality”.NYSC Portal

 He commended the FCCPC’s legal action and sanctioning of British American Tobacco Nigeria for indulging in anti-tobacco control and anti-competition practices.JAMB Result

He said that the sanction was in line with Article 19 of the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, “which requires parties to consider legislative action where necessary, to deal with tobacco industry’s criminal and civil liability, including compensation where appropriate”.JAMB Portal

Pate also stated that the ministry was glad that FCCPC had chosen to fund this advocacy campaign from part of the penalty meted on BATN.

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