The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) said the country could no longer turn a blind eye to the far-reaching consequences of the tobacco industry on economic growth, social development and national productivity.
This is just as the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare said every $1 a country gains from tobacco, $3 more is expended on healthcare costs because of its ill effects.
This was disclosed, yesterday, at the formal launch of the FCCPC tobacco control advocacy campaign, tagged, ‘Don’t Burn Their Future’, in Lagos. The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, said tobacco harms national economies, sustainable development and environment as well as re-enforces, recycles and perpetuates poverty, especially among low-income earners who invest their money to service their tobacco addiction.
He stressed that the study by the Nigerian Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa showed that the burden of tobacco on the country’s healthcare system is NN634 billion, of which N 526.6 billion is tobacco-related treatment costs.
The minister said there is a need to ensure the tobacco industry is strictly regulated by the country’s legislation and global best practices. Pate said the tobacco industry, in ensuring that its business remains profitable, has harnessed its energy in flooding the markets with newer products, while circumventing the law on tobacco advertisement, promotions, celebrity endorsements, corporate social responsibility and recruitment of new users to replace the old tobacco users who are in transition to premature mortality.
Pate commended the FCCPC’s legal action and sanctioning of British American Tobacco Nigeria (BATN) for indulging in anti-tobacco control and anti-competition practices.
He said the sanction is in line with Article 19 of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), which requires parties to consider legislative action where necessary to deal with the tobacco industry’s criminal and civil liability, including compensation where appropriate.
Pate also stated that the ministry is glad that FCCPC has chosen to fund the advocacy campaign from part of the penalty imposed on BATN.
The Acting Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of FCCPC, Adamu Abdullahi, said despite the commitment to the signing and ratification of global initiatives as well as the enactment of comprehensive national legislation, tobacco epidemic has become a significant contributor to preventable health issues, affecting both urban and rural communities as well as the economically-productive population.
