…As dealers on snuf snub FG on compliance

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

The coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) under the aegis of the Nigerian Tobacco Control Alliance, NTCA, has urged the Federal Ministry of Health, the law enforcement agencies and all relevant stakeholders to intensify enforcement of the graphic health warnings on tobacco products in the country.

The Coalition has also raised the alarm that dealers on snuff and other allied tobacco products have not complied with the government regulation on health warnings on tobacco products.

Briefing journalists in Abuja, the Executive Director, Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa, CAPPA, Mr. Akinbode Oluwafemi, said that not much progress has been recorded in the implementation of the Tobacco Control Law to the detriment of the nation’s wellbeing, especially of the youths.

Oluwafemi, flanked by Technical Resource Officer, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK), Michael Olaniyan; Nigerian Tobacco Control Alliance (NTCA) Project Officer, Nwokorie Chibuikem; and Sub-Regional Coordinator for West Africa, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK), Mrs. Hilda Ochefu, also emphasized on the need for taking the campaign and enforcement beyond Abuja and Lagos to the remaining 35 states of the federation.

According to him, the Ministry of Health, Police, Nigeria Securities and Civil Defence Corps, (NSCDC), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and other relevant security agencies should intensify enforcement of the regulation.

The coalition revealed that recent research carried out by the NTCA revealed that the level of non-compliance is high as 95 percent for dealers on snuff and other allied tobacco products, have not complied with the regulation at all, while 40 percent non-compliance was recorded on cigarettes.

“The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) enforcement of the graphic health warnings policy is commendable but with only Abuja and Lagos visited out of Nigeria’s 36 states, the exercise is still limited and should be simultaneous in other states of the federation.

“Tobacco manufacturers who do not comply with the new directive on Graphic Health Warnings should be sanctioned as stated in Section 24 (2) of the National Tobacco Control Act, 2015. They should also be compelled to recall all products without the graphic health warnings still with retailers and replace them with products that are with graphic health warnings on them.

“There is a need for sustained awareness creation and sensitization of retailers and wholesalers on the new policy and its effect on public health. There is a need for continued education and inter-agency collaboration on the enforcement of the policy. The FCCPC has been at the fore of enforcement thus far.

“Other agencies of government like Standards Organisation of Nigeria etc. in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health must also play their statutory roles in the enforcement of this lifesaving policy,” Oluwafemi said.
Other members of the coalition said that the policy was to commence on June 23rd, 2021, but unfortunately did not commence until November 23, 2021.

They said even at that, the first enforcement exercise did not happen until December 8, 2021.

“By virtue of the policy, graphic health warnings must henceforth be on the packs of tobacco products and must cover at least 50 per cent of the front and back of the tobacco product package.

“A text-only health warning must also be displayed on one of the lateral sides of the package. For cigarette cartons, text-only warnings are required to cover 50 per cent of the front and back surfaces. The size of the warnings will be rotated at least every 24 months and will be increased to 60 per cent in June 2024.

“The new requirement replaces the former warning, which only required manufacturers to inscribe the message: “The Federal Ministry of Health warns that smokers are liable to die young.

Vanguard News Nigeria