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Senate urges FG to ban tobacco adverts, signs

By George Opara, Abuja
07 February 2018   |   3:48 am
The Senate yesterday urged the Federal Government to ban tobacco companies from using adverts and signs within 100 metres of schools to attract children and youth into early smoking of cigarettes across the country. It also urged the ministries of health both at federal and state levels to promote and advertise the ‘No sale of…

Cigarette packs<br />/ AFP PHOTO / PASCAL POCHARD-CASABIANCA

The Senate yesterday urged the Federal Government to ban tobacco companies from using adverts and signs within 100 metres of schools to attract children and youth into early smoking of cigarettes across the country.

It also urged the ministries of health both at federal and state levels to promote and advertise the ‘No sale of tobacco to minors’ signage.

These resolutions followed an adopted motion sponsored by Senator Oluremi Tinubu and co-sponsored by five other senators.

In her lead debate on the motion, Tinubu was worried that the outcome of research by Nigeria tobacco research group in five states showed that the tobacco companies were in the ploy to position their adverts and signage close to most schools to bait teenagers.

The lawmakers said the development was contrary to the framework convention on tobacco control and the National Tobacco Control Act 2018 aimed at the prevention and substantial reduction of accessibility of tobacco and tobacco products to young people.

Other prohibitions by the act are sale of cigarettes from a vending machine, advertisement, sponsorship and consumption of tobacco products, smoking in schools, health facilities, playgrounds and public places.

However, some of the health challenges associated with smoking were said to include lung cancer, myocardial infraction, chronic bronchitis and cardiovascular diseases.

Yet, it was observed that tobacco epidemic has been sustained by the increasing number of youths into the smoker’s population.

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