The Nigeria Tobacco Management Alliance (NTCA) has referred to as for implementing Graphic Well being Warnings (GHWs) on all tobacco merchandise.
The chairman of NTCA, Akinbode Oluwafenmi, mentioned the introduction of GHWs had been confirmed as an efficient manner of decreasing tobacco use and its related harms.
Akinbode, who spoke at a press briefing on the present state of the GHWs coverage implementation in Nigeria yesterday in Abuja, mentioned research had proven that GHWs are more practical than text-only warnings in speaking the dangers related to tobacco use.
“They’re additionally extra more likely to be observed and remembered by customers and intending customers.
“This measure is contained in Article 11 of the World Well being Organisation Framework Conference on Tobacco Management (WHO-FCTC) and in our native legal guidelines.
“Part 20 of the Nationwide Tobacco Management Act, 2015 (NTC Act) requires producers, importers.
and distributors of tobacco merchandise to make sure that their merchandise carry totally colored graphic well being warnings, masking at the least 50 % of the principal show space and that the graphic photograph should clearly present the well being implications of tobacco use and publicity,” he defined.
Akinbode additional acknowledged that the present set of warnings, depicting a photograph of mouth most cancers, was issued on June 23, 2023, and can expire on June 22, 2025, after a interval of two years.
He famous that part 20(3) of the Nationwide Tobacco Management Act stipulates that graphic well being warnings should be modified after an preliminary interval not later than 24 months to new warnings and messages prescribed by the Federal Ministry of Well being and Social Welfare.
“It’s now one yr because the warnings got here into impact. As an Alliance, we alerted our members within the Federal Capital Territory, in addition to Abia, Kano, Bauchi, Plateau, Cross River, and Lagos states to repeatedly monitor compliance with the second part of the warnings.
“From the findings, the compliance stage on typical cigarettes is above 50 %. Nevertheless, it’s stunning to disclose that compliance is abysmal on different tobacco merchandise like shisha and flavoured vapes, which can be nonetheless illegally marketed in Nigeria. That is unacceptable. The tobacco business shouldn’t undermine the legal guidelines governing its enterprise in Nigeria,” he mentioned.