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Senate holds second reading of tobacco control bill

By Ini Ekott




The bill on National Tobacco Control, 2009, has passed through the second reading in the Senate.

The bill, if passed, will repeal the Tobacco Smoking (Control) Act No. 20 of 1990/CAP T6, Laws of the Federal Republic, and domesticate the WHO's initiated Framework Convention for Tobacco Control, which came into effect on February27, 2007. Nigeria signed the treaty in June 2004 and ratified it in October 2005.

The bill, sponsored by the Deputy Minority Leader of the Senate, Olorunnimbe Mamora, will also make it an offence to sell tobacco products to persons under the age of 18 (sale of cigarettes by the sticks, and all forms of adverts, sponsorships, testimonials and sales promotion by tobacco firms).

The legislative order will also mandate cigarette packs to carry a special pictorial warning that covers half of the packet, warning users about the dangers of smoking.

"Tobacco is the only product that when used as designed by the manufacturer, will surely kill or harm users," Mr Mamora said, in his lead debate on the bill.

Experts say tobacco contains over 4,000 toxic and cancer-causing chemicals that are linked with at least 200 diseases. In Dec 2008, a WHO report said that, except new treatments are found, cancer will overtake malaria, tuberculosis and AIDS combined; becoming the world's leading killer by 2010.

In Nigeria, a health statistic says the percentage of smokers has risen by over 18 percent in the past decade.

Mr Mamora said that results from 11 out of 26 public hospitals in Lagos State, where a research was conducted, show that about two persons die daily from tobacco related diseases. Experts say, on the average such diseases can take up to 20 years to manifest.

Before now, the Federal Government and some state governments had gone to court against tobacco companies, claiming damages for ailing citizens.

Some tobacco companies, probably escaping tougher regulations, like high taxes, anti-smoking campaigns, and ads stoppage in Western countries, have moved to Nigeria.

The senator said "while the ‘investment' might have provided job opportunities for about 1,000 Nigerians, it is also responsible for the deaths of many thousands more."

Last week, the Federal Government asked state governments to do more in regulating tobacco use, particularly in public places.

Living The Good Life


This post first appeared on Nanjaboy, please read the originial post: here

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Senate holds second reading of tobacco control bill

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