Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance (NTCA),has tasked the Federal Government to enforce ban on tobacco consumption in the country.
Mr Chibuike Nwokorie, the Program officer of NTCA,who disclosed this at a press conference in Abuja,also said tobacco is responsible for over 28000 death in Nigeria in annually.
Consumption of cigarettes ,he said,was highest in high-income countries, but has reducing while the trend is rising in low-income countries such as Nigeria.
He lamented that tobacco industry spends billions of dollars on advertising tobacco products, stressing that TAPS persist in Nigeria movies and digital spaces, despite the ban placed by the National Tobacco Control Act, 2015.
He added :”Films, videos, and many digital platforms have continued to escape the scrutiny of the government. This has given the tobacco industry a leeway to perpetuate tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship in movies, music videos and lyrics, while strategically placing their products on several digital media platforms” .
The NTCA specifically called out Big Brother Naija organizers whom he accused of habitually violating TAPS laws in their popular reality TV show.
He said:”In 2021, BBNaija a popular reality TV program, sparked public outrage when its participants flagrantly smoked on live TV, this depiction of smoking as glamorous challenged the provisions of NTC Act, 2015 on On-screen smoking. It also threatened the gains on ban on TAPS in Nigeria”.
He warned that NBC should engage the organizers as the BBNaija Season 7 is about to begin, to ensure there is no repeat of last year’s violations.