Across Africa, the Tobacco
Control campaign is gaining ground with the recent passage of bills in Senegal &
Ghana that is aimed at protecting citizens and significantly reducing the
smoking menace. However, opponents of these efforts have employed delay tactics
to curtail the progress of the passage of Tobacco control bills in some of the
African countries like Zambia and Malawi, where the action on smoking and its health
implications has competed for attention with other issues.
The goal is to ensure this does
not happen in Nigeria as the enforcement of meaningful tobacco control
legislation not only solidify locally our agreement with the FCTC but also
ensures we are better placed to benefit millions of lives affected directly
& indirectly by a lifestyle choice with grave consequences for all.
We must be willing to follow
examples of like Ukraine that banned tobacco corporate social
responsibility initiatives and adopted other tobacco control measures
witnessing smoking rates country-wide take a nosedive. In a survey, the
Ukrainian government found the national smoking rate during the period between
January and September 2013 was 15 percent lower than the same period in 2012.
Now, that’s a huge drop in one year and effectively thousands of lives were
saved. Nigeria must adopt these measures if she wants the lives of her citizens
preserved and even our children unborn. These evidence-based policies are
supported by a critical provision of the FCTC – Article 5.3 – which states that
the tobacco industry has an irreconcilable conflict with public health. The guidelines to FCTC
implementation recommend government officials reject real and perceived
partnerships with the tobacco industry and ban on tobacco industry corporate
social responsibility.
Let’s not allow history to
repeat itself and allow anything distract us from the task at hand. With the
fate of thousands of young Nigerians at stake, the time to act is now. Just as
neighboring countries like Ghana have implemented tobacco controls that are the
first step in saving their youth, we urge Nigeria’s Parliamentarians and
policymakers to step up and follow suit. Do not fall prey to misleading tactics
by the Tobacco Industry and derail Nigeria’s most critical opportunity to save
the lives of its people. It’s time to pass the National Tobacco Control
Bill.
Within the next two weeks, there
will be a public hearing on the draft of the tobacco control bill by The House
of Representatives. We will be publishing WIDELY the full details of the
hearing when released and urge you to PARTICIPATE in this by marking the date
in your calendar and planning to attend so YOUR VOICE is added to the swelling
number of citizens calling for a TC bill NOW. We implore you to please share
the date with your friend & family too so they can LEND their VOICE as
well.
Join Fela Durotoye and Stella
Damasus to share information on Tobacco Control to ensure a comprehensive
Tobacco control law is passed and signed into law by signing up to become a
cause champion. Together we can protect present and future generations from
this preventable death now. To become a cause champion, Simply
sign up by sending your 1) Name 2) Email 3) Telephone No and 4) your location
to info@socialresponsibilitymanagers.org
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Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/tobaccoctrl
- For more facts and Tobacco Control tips visit www.tobaccoctrl.ng
PS
We would like to wish everyone a wonderful Easter holiday.
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