Nigeria: Stakeholders Laud Reps over Tobacco Control Bill

Source from:  The Guardian Nigeria‎  07/24/2014

Stakeholders have commended the House of Representatives for its recent public hearing on the National Tobacco Control Bill (NTCB) for proactively coming up with a bill to address the issue of smoking in public.

Speaking on the bill, the National Vice-President, Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Mr. Dele Sotuba, commended the National Assembly for the planned law as it will go a long way in sanitising the industry.             .

He further advised that the House should enact a producer-user friendly legislation that will drastically reduce the negative effects and maximise the positive effects of tobacco production and smoking in Nigeria. Also, the Initiative for Public Policy Analysis (IPPA) by its Head of Research, Mr. Olusegun Sotola said that any regulation of the sector  must be balanced and should also cater for rights of both smokers and non-smokers, so that it does not result in unintended consequences.            .

According to him, it must be realised that the issue of tobacco has both health and economic implications. "As long as there is demand, there must be supply. The right of smokers must be catered for and if the bill as it is drafted, is passed, it will not only affect the manufacturing but the whole value chain: farmers, distributors, retailers, suppliers. This will impact on the economy negatively," he stated.

Presenting its organisation's memorandum, the Director of Environmental Rights Action and Friends of the Earth (ERA), Akinbode Oluwafemi commended the lawmakers for championing the course of regulating the tobacco industry.

He noted that his organisation was calling for the regulation of the contents of tobacco products as well as the packaging and labelling in the country. According to him, they are also advocating the rights of non-smokers since tobacco is the only commodity a consumer consumes and it affects a non-consumer of the product.

The British American Tobacco Nigeria (BATN) had earlier in its presentation at the House, supported the passage of a balanced and evidence-based bill for the industry.

The firm further urged that it is in the interest of all stakeholders to ensure the passage of a balanced, workable and evidence based bill "which would help reduce the negative impact of tobacco on public health in the country." Enditem