Public Health Groups, CSOs March For Tobacco Act Implementation

Cat:

Related stories

Seeing Opposition In Disarray Gives Me Pleasure, Tinubu Taunts PDP, LP, Others

By Kolawole Ojebisi President Bola Tinubu on Thursday has stated...

Tinubu Denies Stopping INEC From Registering New Parties

By Kolawole Ojebisi President Tinubu has denied stopping the Independent...

June 12: PDP Raises Alarm, Says APC Is Plotting to Impose “One-Party State” on Nigeria

By Abiola Olawale The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has once...

Officials of the Federal Ministry of Health, civil society and grassroots groups today (June 3, 2019) carried out a rally in Abuja to educate the public on the National Tobacco Control (NTC) Act.

The rally which was organised by the ministry in conjunction with the Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance (NTCA) was part of activities to mark the 2019 World No Tobacco Day which has as theme: Tobacco and Lung Health.Other groups that participated in the march were the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK), Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), Cedars Foundation, University of Abuja Smoke-free Club, and the Nigeria Medical Association, among others.

The rally which started at the popular Berger Roundabout, and terminated at the Wuse Market was used to educate traders on the NTC Act and the Tobacco Regulations that were approved by the National Assembly on 28 May 2019. Leaflets were also handed out with information of the Tobacco Act.

Abraham Agbons, an official of the Federal Ministry of Health said that the rally was planned immediately after the passage of the Tobacco Regulations to bring the message nearer to the grassroots and ensure they understand the text of the law and penalty for violators.

Programme Coordinator of the NTCA, Oluseun Esan said that the benefits of the law includes safer air to breathe and protection of non smokers from second hand smoke which kills about 600,000 people annually. He pointed out that the approved Regulations will now make it possible for the federal ministry of health and the relevant agencies of government to fully implement the NTC Act which was signed into law by former president, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan in 2015.

Other activists who spoke were ERA/FoEN Deputy Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi and Chibuike Nwokorie of the NTCA who translated the message in Igbo.

Nwokorie said that it was now illegal to sell cigarettes in sticks and to under-aged persons, adding also, that smoking in public places such as viewing centers was an offence punishable by fine or prison term.

The Regulations which were approved by the Senate and the House of Representatives address the licensing of tobacco products, duration of the license, and the sizes of pictographs and graphic health warnings on tobacco packs, among others. The pictographs and health warnings which will cover 50% of the display area of tobacco packs replace the message: The Federal Ministry of Health Warns that tobacco smokers are liable to die young.

'Dotun Akintomide
'Dotun Akintomide
'Dotun Akintomide's journalism works intersect business, environment, politics and developmental issues. Among a number of local and international publications, his work has appeared in the New York Times. He's a winner of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Award. Currently, the Online Editor at The New Diplomat, Akintomide has produced reports that uniquely spoke to Nigeria's experience on Climate Change issues. When Akintomide is not writing, volunteering or working on a media project, you can find him seeing beautiful sites like the sandy beaches that bedecked the Lagos coastline.

Subscribe

- Never miss a story with notifications

- Gain full access to our premium content

- Browse free from up to 5 devices at once

[tds_leads input_placeholder="Your email address" btn_horiz_align="content-horiz-center" pp_msg="SSd2ZSUyMHJlYWQlMjBhbmQlMjBhY2NlcHQlMjB0aGUlMjAlM0NhJTIwaHJlZiUzRCUyMiUyMyUyMiUzRVByaXZhY3klMjBQb2xpY3klM0MlMkZhJTNFLg==" pp_checkbox="yes" tdc_css="eyJhbGwiOnsibWFyZ2luLXRvcCI6IjMwIiwibWFyZ2luLWJvdHRvbSI6IjQwIiwiZGlzcGxheSI6IiJ9LCJwb3J0cmFpdCI6eyJtYXJnaW4tdG9wIjoiMTUiLCJtYXJnaW4tYm90dG9tIjoiMjUiLCJkaXNwbGF5IjoiIn0sInBvcnRyYWl0X21heF93aWR0aCI6MTAxOCwicG9ydHJhaXRfbWluX3dpZHRoIjo3NjgsImxhbmRzY2FwZSI6eyJtYXJnaW4tdG9wIjoiMjAiLCJtYXJnaW4tYm90dG9tIjoiMzAiLCJkaXNwbGF5IjoiIn0sImxhbmRzY2FwZV9tYXhfd2lkdGgiOjExNDAsImxhbmRzY2FwZV9taW5fd2lkdGgiOjEwMTksInBob25lIjp7Im1hcmdpbi10b3AiOiIyMCIsImRpc3BsYXkiOiIifSwicGhvbmVfbWF4X3dpZHRoIjo3Njd9" display="column" gap="eyJhbGwiOiIyMCIsInBvcnRyYWl0IjoiMTAiLCJsYW5kc2NhcGUiOiIxNSJ9" f_msg_font_family="downtown-sans-serif-font_global" f_input_font_family="downtown-sans-serif-font_global" f_btn_font_family="downtown-sans-serif-font_global" f_pp_font_family="downtown-serif-font_global" f_pp_font_size="eyJhbGwiOiIxNSIsInBvcnRyYWl0IjoiMTEifQ==" f_btn_font_weight="700" f_btn_font_size="eyJhbGwiOiIxMyIsInBvcnRyYWl0IjoiMTEifQ==" f_btn_font_transform="uppercase" btn_text="Unlock All" btn_bg="#000000" btn_padd="eyJhbGwiOiIxOCIsImxhbmRzY2FwZSI6IjE0IiwicG9ydHJhaXQiOiIxNCJ9" input_padd="eyJhbGwiOiIxNSIsImxhbmRzY2FwZSI6IjEyIiwicG9ydHJhaXQiOiIxMCJ9" pp_check_color_a="#000000" f_pp_font_weight="600" pp_check_square="#000000" msg_composer="" pp_check_color="rgba(0,0,0,0.56)" msg_succ_radius="0" msg_err_radius="0" input_border="1" f_unsub_font_family="downtown-sans-serif-font_global" f_msg_font_size="eyJhbGwiOiIxMyIsInBvcnRyYWl0IjoiMTIifQ==" f_input_font_size="eyJhbGwiOiIxNCIsInBvcnRyYWl0IjoiMTIifQ==" f_input_font_weight="500" f_msg_font_weight="500" f_unsub_font_weight="500"]

Latest stories

NDN
Latest News
Tinubu Confers National Honours on Yar'Adua, Kudirat Abiola, Ayo Adebanjo, Ken Saro-Wiwa, Humphrey Nwosu, Soyinka, Sam Amuka, Ibru, OthersSeeing Opposition In Disarray Gives Me Pleasure, Tinubu Taunts PDP, LP, OthersTinubu Denies Stopping INEC From Registering New PartiesDemocracy Day: Peter Obi Slams Tinubu for Prioritizing Politics Over the Welfare of NigeriansJune 12: PDP Raises Alarm, Says APC Is Plotting to Impose “One-Party State” on NigeriaDangote Steps Down as Sugar Chairman After Two Decades of LeadershipDemocracy Day: Reject 'Thugs Masquerading As Leaders', Utomi Urges NigeriansTinubu Immortalizes Abiola, Yar'Adua, Ken Saro-Wiwa, Humphrey Nwosu, Others with Posthumous National HonoursHow Nigeria's Money Got Into Foreign Accounts During Abacha's Reign -- Al-Mustapha[Video] Panic As Air India Flight To UK With 242 Passengers Crashes Shortly After Take-offADDRESS BY PRESIDENT BOLA AHMED TINUBU, GCFR AT THE JOINT SESSION OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY IN COMMEMORATION OF DEMOCRACY DAY, 2025The Complexities of DecisionsOshiomhole Breaks Silence on Viral Lagos Airport Clash with Air Peace StaffSEC Blasts CBEX Says it remains Banned in Nigeria, as Crypto Platform2027: Atiku, Obi, El-Rufai, Others Can't Unseat Tinubu, They're 'Bound To Fail' -- Wike
X whatsapp