By Princewill Ekwujuru

Tobacco, a predominantly natural herb warmed its way into the hearts of many consumers across the world because of its place in the gregarious nature of man. The herb is consumed mostly as cigarette and snuff in the present generation. However, it has come under severe and increasing regulatory scrutiny recently.

The World Health Organisation, WHO, is at the forefront of tobacco advocacy and a total of 168 countries have so far become signatories to the convention, which seeks to address the issue of tobacco consumption and supply through the adoption of several tobacco control measures.

According to some reports the use of tobacco can be traced back to the 1400’s and meant different things at various times to different people, including using it for religious rites and medicinal purposes. Though the negative health effects of tobacco smoking is established epidemiologically, the tobacco companies have after several years of denial accepted that this indeed the reality of the product. Prior to the US Surgeon General’s report, cigarette smoking was generally accepted as a pleasurable venture and is still is by several people.

Since the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, (FCTC) came into force in 2005, many countries across the world have come up with different types of laws including, the United States of America, Canada, Ireland, South Africa and Ghana just to name a few, with Nigeria having the bill pending before federal law makers.

While there are several studies on the effectiveness of the FCTC and the implementation of tobacco control measures by countries, it is pertinent for the Nigerian law-makers to take a critical look at what has worked, were and why. The ultimate aim must be to protect public health, and an attack on the legal industry through the use of legislative instrument has not necessary worked in the interest of the people it seeks to protect in many countries, has recent evidence has shown.