''Over 6m Nigerian Adults Exposed to Tobacco Smoke''

Source from:  Lagos Guardian (ng)  10/17/2014

Available statistics have put the number of Nigerian adults exposed to tobacco smoke at in restaurants alone at about 6.4 million, while 5.6 percent used the product, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, has disclosed.

This was announced on Wednesday at a public hearing on the harmonised National Tobacco Control Bill (Senate Bill) 2012 and 2014 Executive Bill.

Okowa, who credited the statistics to the 2012 Global Adult Tobacco Survey, further disclosed that about 600, 000 people die globally from second-hand tobacco smoke annually. The public hearing, therefore, was in view of the alarming negative effect of tobacco on peoples' health, he noted.

The Senate President, David Mark, while opening the session, had earlier stressed that the bill seeks to protect future generation of Nigerians from the devastating health, social economic and environmental consequences of tobacco use and exposure to its smoke, among other ills.

In related development, British American Tobacco Nigeria Limited (BATN) has paid over N213 billion in taxes to the federal and state governments as excise and import duties, VAT, corporate tax, PAYE and other levies/charges in the past 10 years (2003 to 2013).

According to Okowa, the bill will provide the legal framework for the control of production, manufacture, sale, labelling and advertising, promotion, sponsorship and use of tobacco products and exposure to tobacco smoke.

He stated further that the bill would provide for the prohibition of advertising, promotion and sponsorship as well as regulation of tobacco products.

Meanwhile, the Senate committee has allayed fears that the control bill was not meant to ban or chase away the legal industry, stating rather that it intends to regulate manufacturing, consumption and promotion of tobacco products in Nigeria.

"It is not our intention to drive away the legal industry but to make them operate in a responsible manner for the sake of the health of our citizen, as the hearing will strengthen the bill to address some issues confronting the health system," Okowa said.

However, BATN has called for balanced regulation while supporting for a comprehensive tobacco bill. In his presentation at the public hearing, BATN Head of Regulatory Affairs, Shola Dosunmu, said: "We support the provisions that prohibit the sale of cigarettes to and by under-aged persons.

This is because "we believe that only adults who are aware of the risks should smoke. In addition, we support restrictions on smoking in clearly defined public places because there are many non-smokers who would rather not inhale the smoke from others."

Nevertheless, the firm raised some concern over some sections of the consolidated bill, which include that the bill seeks to ban the tobacco industry from undertaking Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR) of any kind; to hand over legislative powers to the executive arm of government in the person and office of the Minister of Health.

It further frowned at the public place smoking ban with unclear definitions, and granting rights of action (locus standi) in a civil litigation to anyone to file a suit against the tobacco industry whether or not the person has a unique interest.

It also expressed concern that the bill prevented government agencies from partnership of any kind with the tobacco industry, such as cooperating to fight illicit trade in tobacco products.

On his part, the Director of Corporate and Regulatory Affairs, BAT West Africa, Mr. Freddy Messanvi, explained that BATN has always supported the passage of a balanced and evidence-based regulation of the industry in Nigeria.

"Through co-operation between BATN and regulatory agencies, we have achieved reduction in the incidence of illicit trade from over 80 percent to around 20 percent today," he noted.

Messanvi urged that the proposed regulation should not force the legal and regulated businesses out of operation and leave the market at the mercy of smugglers and illicit traders. He added that in passing this bill, it was important to consider trends and implications in other countries with similar legislation.

Other stakeholders such as the Initiative for Public Policy Analysis and the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) were of the opinion that the legal industry should not be stifled out of operation, leaving the citizenry at the mercy of smugglers. Enditem