Nigeria: Group Seeks Probe of 'Smoking' Parties

Source from:  Daily Champion (Lagos) 15 August 2008 08/18/2008

The Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) yesterday urged the federal government to investigate on-going 'Experience Freshness' secret parties being organised by the British American Tobacco Nigeria to promote its Pall Mall cigarette brand. It said the parties were being used to induce under-age persons into smoking. ERA/FoEN, in a statement issued in Lagos, alleged that BAT has staged the "smoking" parties secretly in Sokoto, Kano, Ilorin, Ibadan while the most recent was held at Gateway Hotel, Kuto, Abeokuta on Wednesday, August alleging that the tobacco company has concluded plans to stage the next party in Akure, Ondo state. "It is outrageous that BAT is still conducting itself this way just weeks after a BBC documentary revealed how the corporation had been marketing cigarettes to children across Africa and how it had used parties and concerts to lure people to smoking," the group's Programme Manager, Akinbode Oluwafemi, said. Its investigation revealed that invitations cards were given out secretly to youths in secondary and tertiary institutions, adding that while there were no checks at the gate on age limits, young people, especially the girls, were encouraged to attend. "Besides, there was heavy presence of bouncers at the venues but girls, especially the young ones, were allowed to get into the party without any check. There were free cigarettes at the gate and young persons were compelled to light and smoke cigarettes before entering, while there were many more sticks given out during the course of the party. There was also dancing competition with music iPOD being the star prize while other consolation prices include packs of Pall Mall cigarettes and lighters and no one was allowed to enter the venue with a camera. We were shocked to discover that people holding the invitation cards were compelled to light up before entering the event venue after which the invitation cards were withdrawn and confiscated . There were also scarcely branded girls handing out free cigarettes. Most of the girls were less than 18 years and were using all tricks to influence people to smoke. It is outrageous. It should stop. This is not what we want for our youths," Oluwafemi added. It claimed that despite all the secrecy that BAT built round the smoking parties, there was foolproof evidence of the secret smoking parties. The group urged government to begin immediate investigation particularly why a corporate organisation is organising secret parties for youths and under-age persons. ERA warned that Nigeria could not continue to condone such disregard for law and order and asked the government to take necessary steps to protect Nigerian youths from tobacco marketing and addiction by taking the necessary disciplinary measures against the erring company. ERA/FoEN recalled that BAT was not new to controversy about its marketing standards targeting young people in Nigeria. "In 2003, the company used seven Hollywood movies to repackage Rothmans brand which generated worldwide outrage against the company leading to its being forced to cancel the show. In July, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) broadcast a one-hour documentary which revealed how BAT has been marketing cigarette to African youths. The smoking parties, it was gathered, were secretly planned to shore up the sale of the Pall Mall cigarette, it noted. Enditem