Nigeria - State of Osun to implement tobacco control measures..

May 27, 2010 - Doesn't it seem forever we've been waiting for Nigeria to implement its National Tobacco Control Bill. The National Assembly is still foot-dragging on translating the all-encompassing National Tobacco Control Bill (NTCB) into law even with the overwhelming support that the bill engendered at the public hearing on July 20-21 last year. (Nigeria - parliament still debating new tobacco legislation..)

The Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) has called on the federal government to emulate Australia’s move to ban the promotion of tobacco. (Australia - tobacco tax increase now in force, next comes plain tobacco packaging..)

ERA/FoEN has commended the Osun State government for signing the Osun State Prohibition of Smoking in Public Places Bill 2009 into law. The agency said the decision is one of the most far-reaching efforts taken by any state in the country to safeguard public health. The bill prohibits smoking in cinemas, theatres or the stadia, medical establishments, hotels; offices, schools and public transportation, nursery institutions and lifts. Another major highlight of the bill is that it prohibits smoking in both private and public vehicles with a non- smoking occupant below 18. (Vehicles Most Dangerous Space for Second-Hand Smoke Levels..)

In a statement in Lagos, the group said the Osun government had taken a lead and demonstrated its responsiveness to the well-being of its people and public health and should be emulated by other states.

ERA/FoEN Programme Manager, Akinbode Oluwafemi noted: Reiterating the group’s call for the National Assembly to expedite action on the NTCB, that Nigerians are dying by the seconds due to tobacco addiction while tobacco manufacturers smile to the banks. Every day that we delay the implementation of strict laws, there will be more deaths, more ill-heaths and the economy will suffer. The trend globally showed that only far-reaching laws can stop a gale of deaths spurred by tobacco smoke.
Tobacco currently kills 5.4 million people and if current trend continues it will kill about eight million by 2015, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Newspaper article - Daily Independent: Osun bans smoking in institutions, 5/20/2010..

Reference: Osun bans smoking in public by Collins Nweze, NigeriaNationalTobaccoControlBill.blogspot.com, 5/28/2010.

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