The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre on Wednesday called on the Federal Government to start implementing the National Tobacco Control Act that was signed into law in May 2015.
According to the society, the NTCA was signed into law nearly one year ago but its implementation had been stalled as a result of the Federal Government’s failure to constitute a National Tobacco Control Committee, a body saddled with the responsibility of making regulations for enforcement as stipulated in the Act.
In line with the World Health Organisation Framework on Tobacco Control which Nigeria signed onto in 2004 and subsequently ratified in 2005, a National Tobacco Control Act was signed into law in May 2015.
The Executive Director, CISLAC, Mr. Auwal Musa, told journalists at a press briefing in Abuja that the Act was as a result of a long and tedious campaign which spanned a decade with tobacco control advocates from the civil society, health practitioners, regulatory agencies and indeed the citizenry joining in the calls for Nigeria to have an enforceable tobacco control legislation.
Musa, who was represented by an official of the group, Mr. Okeke Anya, stated that the NTCA was held in high regard as an improvement over former tobacco Act 2004 and Decree 1990, which did not proffer efficient tobacco control in Nigeria as the commodity’s production, sales and consumption remained an indiscriminate practice across the country.
He said, “The 2015 Act which is a significant improvement as a departure from status highlights some areas of improvement such as the increase in graphic health warnings to 50 per cent, a ban on misleading packaging and labelling of tobacco products, ban on single stick sales and any packaging containing less than 20 sticks (30 grams for smokeless).
“A ban on sales to and by minors and also recognising the economic angle of tobacco production which is grossly misrepresented. The Act tax measure provision can also be used to push down consumption and cessation ultimately.”
CISLAC, however, wondered why such important Act had not been implemented after it had been successfully passed into law.
Musa argued that tobacco consumption had remained a menace to public health in Nigeria and indeed the world and urged the government to set up the committee that would make regulations for the implementation of the NTCA Act, 2015.
He said, “Nearly a year after the Act was signed into law, till date, the National Tobacco Control Committee has not been constituted, thereby stalling implementation of the Act, especially as it is the responsibility of the committee to make regulations for implementation as stipulated in the Act.
“CISLAC once again uses this medium to call on the Minister of Health to as a matter of urgent priority constitute the committee to speed up the function of making regulations to govern the implementation of the Act.
“Also, taxation has been proven to be a good way to discourage purchase of tobacco products. Hence, all stakeholders and most especially government agencies whose mandate it is to ensure tobacco control redesign the tax regime for tobacco industry with CSOs collaborating in initiating a tobacco tax campaign.
“We also call on the Nigerian public to in their own interest be on guard, paying attention to public health issues and play active role in ensuring the National Tobacco Control Act is effectively implemented especially after regulation
Okechukwu Nnodim writes from Abuja
