Osinbajo: Public perception about smoking needs to change

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has expressed the federal government’s commitment to the reduction of tobacco use among citizens particularly exposure of underage children to smoking.

Speaking at the Presidential Villa in Abuja while receiving leaders of anti-tobacco NGO groups in the country, Osinbajo said inadequate information about the dangers of smoking has made it difficult to convince many to quit the habit.

“We need the public behind us in this engagement. We need to change the public perception that smoking is a matter of choice,” he said.

“We also need to be more creative in passing our messages and in developing policies about the matter.”

While lamenting the proliferation of tobacco products in the country, Osinbajo said government would be exploring strategies on how to reduce its consumption.

“The presidency will give every support that is needed to ensure that tobacco control laws and policies are effectively implemented in Nigeria,” he said.

He charged the NGOs to work more closely with youths to ensure that under-age initiation into smoking is reduced in the country.

Earlier, Akinbode Oluwafemi, deputy director of Environmental Rights Action /Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), who led the delegation urged the federal government to provide all the necessary support  for the effective implementation of the National Tobacco Control Act (NTCA) 2015.

“We want the federal government to demonstrate that the era of impunity is over by bringing all tobacco companies flouting our laws to justice,” he said.

Hilda Ochefu of the Washington-based Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids (CTFK) expressed the readiness of her agency and other international NGOs to support Nigeria in implementing effective tax policy for the tobacco industry.