The Federal Government has announced plans to ban the sale of tobacco products to anyone under the age of 18 across Nigeria.
The Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole, disclosed this at a news conference to mark the 2017 World No-Tobacco Day in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.
Professor Adewole decried the lack of enforcement of the National Tobacco Control Act, two years after it was enacted in 2015.
According to him, the population of tobacco users in the country has continued to rise, even in the face of the National Tobacco Control Act.
Statistics by the World Health Organisation, which set aside May 31 of every year to create awareness on the dangers of tobacco usage, highlight a high death rate among smokers.
According to WHO, over 600 million people die annually from the use of tobacco across the world, while over 80% of such deaths are from low and medium income earning nations like Nigeria.
WHO Country Representative, Wondi Alehu, who also spoke at the conference, urged the government to ensure proper legislation for tobacco control in Nigeria.
A pathologist at the National Hospital, Abuja, Dr. Henry Ewunonu, noted that the use of tobacco is a leading cause of cancer and other skin diseases.
Despite the enactment of the law, the Ministry of Health said over 20 billion sticks of cigarettes are still being consumed in Nigeria.
The Nigeria 2012 Adult Tobacco Survey also reveals that 4.5 million adults in Nigeria use tobacco out of which 4.1 million are men, while another 6.4 million none smokers are exposed to second-hand smoking and its hazards.
