Director, Africa Programs of Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CFTK), Mr. Joshua Kyallo, has disclosed that no fewer than than one billion people will be killed globally by tobacco in the 21st century.
Kyallo stated this in Lagos at the Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) media chat.
He said Tobacco use was the number one cause of preventable deaths around the world and that it killed 100 million people worldwide in the 20th century.
According to Kyallo, “every year, tobacco kills more than five million people worldwide and majority started smoking as children. If current trends continue, it will kill one billion people in the 21st century. The tobacco industry’s insidious and even illegal practices are directly responsible for this evil.
“The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids is a leading force in the fight to reduce tobacco use and its deadly toll around the world. We advocate public policies proven to prevent kids from smoking, help smokers quit and protect everyone from second-hand smoke.
“The fight has being brought to Africa and Nigeria. Factually, all our development sector ranging from health, economy to education is suffering here in Africa but now we have the opportunity to support the tobacco control bill in Nigeria and rescue our future.”
Kyallo urged President Goodluck Jonathan “to assent to the Tobacco Control Bill that has been lying on his desk since last year.”
He added: “Truly, they argue that the tobacco industry provides employment but this is not a sufficient point for the industry not to be regulated because Tobacco kills, causes diseases and disabilities.”
