NIGERIA TOBACCO CONTROL BILL - AWAITING PRESIDENTIAL ASSENT

15 cigarettes: all it takes to harm genes

-Steve Connor

Study reveals the genetic mutations suffered by smokers who go on to develop lung cancer

One genetic mutation occurs on average for every 15 cigarettes that a typical lung-cancer patient smokes, according to a study that has identified for the first time all of the mutations acquired during the lifetime of a cancer patient.

Scientists have completed a full genetic analysis of the genomes of cancer patients, and hope the information will lead to a fundamental understanding of the causes of cancer – and possibly drugs and treatments – by identifying the mutations that turn a healthy cell into a cancerous tumour cell.

They studied a lung-cancer victim who had built up about 23,000 DNA mutations in his lung cells that were linked with exposure to the toxins found in cigarette smoke and had accumulated over his lifetime.

They also looked at a patient with malignant melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer, who had acquired 30,000 specific genetic mutations known to be associated with exposure to sunlight.

Scientists believe this new insight into the genetics of cancer will eventually lead to new drugs and tailor-made treatments that target the specific changes to the gene that help to trigger the disease, as well as new techniques for identifying secondary cancers that have evaded treatment in other parts of the body.

"For the first time, we have a comprehensive map of all mutations in a cancer cell," said Dr Peter Campbell of the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in Cambridge, which led the Cancer Genome project to decipher the entire DNA sequence of tumour cells in order to identify the mutations.

"The profile of mutations we observed [in the lung-cancer patient] is exactly that expected from tobacco, suggesting that the majority of the 23,000 we found are caused by the cocktail of chemicals found in cigarettes. On the basis of average estimates, we can say that one mutation is fixed in the genome for every 15 cigarettes smoked," Dr Campbell said.

The study, published in the journal Nature, involved the sequencing of the entire genome of a lung-cancer cell 60 times in order to be sure that all of the smallest mutations were identified. The scientists then compared the genome sequence with that of a healthy cell taken from the same patient.

A similar procedure was performed on the cells of a patient with skin cancer, which is how the researchers were able to show that the malignant skin cells contained changes that resulted from exposure to ultraviolet light, said Professor Mike Stratton at the Sanger Institute.

"These are the two main cancers in the developed world for which we know the primary exposure. For lung cancer it is cigarette smoke, and for malignant melanoma it is exposure to sunlight," Professor Stratton said.

"With these genome sequences, we have been able to explore deep into the past of each tumour, uncovering with remarkable clarity the imprints of these environmental mutagens [mutation-causing agents] on DNA, which occurred years before the tumour became apparent," he said.

SOURCES 1, 2 ,3 , 4 , 5

Group urges Senate to expedite action on Tobacco bill

By Ben Ezeamalu

Sequel to the July 20 and 21 senate public hearing on the National Tobacco Control Bill 2009 (NTCB 2009) organised by the Senate Committee on Health, a non-governmental organisation, Environmental Rights Action/Friend of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), has urged the National Assembly to fast track the presentation of the bill before the Senate plenary.

Akinbode Oluwafemi, the programme manager of ERA/FoEN, made this call, yesterday, at a press briefing to update the media on the status of the NTCB 2009, in Lagos."The bill has passed the first and second reading, and there was a public hearing in July. Now we are expecting that the Senate Committee on Health will present the 'new bill' with the inputs of the public hearing to the plenary for discussion," said Mr. Oluwafemi.The National Tobacco Control Bill 2009The bill, sponsored by Adeleke Olorunnimbe Mamora, the senator representing Lagos East Constituency, sought to regulate and control the manufacture, sales, distribution, and marketing of tobacco products in the country.

While the bill had no provision for forcefully closing down tobacco factories, it attempted to control tobacco consumption so as to reduce the deaths, ill-health, social, economic, and environmental costs associated with tobacco use.It also sought to domesticate the World Health Organisation - initiated Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) which has already been ratified by 167 countries.

The FCTC is an internationally co-ordinated response to combat the tobacco epidemic. It tackles tobacco industry marketing campaigns executed in different countries and cigarette smuggling, often co-ordinated in many countries by the tobacco industries.Mr. Oluwafemi said tobacco companies and their agents finally debunked their initial tales of massive job losses, up to 500, 000, if the country implements effective tobacco control laws during the public hearing.

"In fact, the British American Tobacco Company of Nigeria, which controls over 82 percent of the Nigerian cigarette market, disclosed that it has only 850 staff. The Association of Tobacco Wholesalers and Association of Tobacco Retailers put their combined strength at about 4, 000," Mr. Oluwafemi said.Great expectationsAccording to Mr. Oluwafemi, the NTCB 2009 will not suffer implementation problems that previous public health bills have suffered."We'd learnt our lessons from those bills that there were no clear provisions about who is going to enforce what? And in cases where they overlap, who does what?

When you look at this bill clearly, it has everything well defined," he said.On October 20, the Osun State House of Assembly passed the Osun State Prohibition of Smoking in Public Places Bill, 2009, making her the first and only state to pass the bill yet.Mr. Oluwafemi said though Osun State had made more progress than the national bill, the enthusiasm shown during the public hearing by members of the public and the parliamentarians would enhance the speedy passage of the bill."We don't have any doubt that the people in the senate, from their submissions during the preliminary and second hearing of this bill, will give Nigerians a strong public health bill," the environmentalist said.

SOURCE

Group urges National Assembly to pass tobacco control bill

By Olukorede Yishau

A non-governmental organisation, Environmental Rights Action (ERA), yesterday urged the National Assembly to pass the National Tobacco Control Bill.The bill, sponsored by Senator Olorunimbe Mamora, is before the Senate. Speaking at a news conference in Lagos, ERA's Programme Manager, Mr. Akinbode Oluwafemi, said: "Smoking kills. Tobacco currently kills over 5.4 million people annually, over 70 per cent of those deaths occur in developing countries."
Akinbode said contrary to the argument of tobacco giants, "the bill as appropriately titled is to control tobacco consumption so as to reduce the deaths, ill-health, social, economic and environmental costs associated with tobacco use. The bill has no provision about outlawing or forcefully closing down tobacco factories."

SOURCE

Nigeria Indeed Ratified the FCTC

Contrary to the views expressed by Eze Eluchie questioning the status of Nigeria in relation to the FCTC, Nigeria surely ratified the FCTC.

From his long submission, it is very clear that he has no idea about what has been going on in the tobacco control circle either in Nigeria or at the international community. Perhaps it would be helpful for Mr Eze to wait to learn from other Lawyers attending the Lawyer's Circle meeting in kenya. I need to note here that everyone is excited about the progress made in Nigeria.

Maybe the first thing to do is to pause and ask this question: of what use is Eze's debate at this point that Nigeria is on the verge of passing a comprehensive – FCTC compliant National Tobacco Control Bill? This question leaves us with a further question of verifying Eze's motive behind this long, unnecessary debate. Are we confronted with a force on the side of the Tobacco Companies with deliberate effort to stall the process of passing the tobacco control bill in Nigeria and subsequently in other African countries? Do we simply believe that Eze is playing to the gallery as the man who knows what others do not know? Or is he seeking cheap recognition? Whichever way it goes, we need to put this to a dead end, now!

First, to his question, Nigeria ratification document was signed by President Olusegun Obasanjo. The document bore Obasanjo’s classical signature. It was not signed by any other official. It was signed in Abuja, Nigeria and not in New York. The United Nations has strict rules about who can sign such documents. He ought to have checked on that. I do not know where Eze got the idea that "tobacco multinationals based in Nigeria would be laughing themselves silly at our folly" I think the real silly thing we can avoid here is to engage in debate that demonstrate shallow understanding of issues.

Secondly, after the FCTC ratification document was signed in Abuja by the President,it was first by fax to the UN office in New York. And because of the pressure from tobacco control advocates and Federal Ministry of Health officials on the government, a senior official of the Foreign Affairs Ministry was sent from Abuja to New York to deliver a hard copy of the document. If truly Mr. Eze conducted any research at all, he should have unravelled all these information. Obviously, I can not continue to believe that Mr Eze is genuinely unaware of all these. If it happens to be true that he has no such information, I am not certain that the Lawyer's meeting in Kenya has much to benefit from such a tobacco control lawyer, who lacks complete knowledge of happenings within his immediate country.

Was there a parliamentary session to debate FCTC ratification? The answer is NO. But there was indeed an executive council meeting in July, 2005 (I wont be able to go into too much details of the meeting in this e-mail) where the decision to ratify the FCTC was taken after consultations with the Principal Officials of the parliament. The decisions taken that day is contained in an official government gazette. Mr Eze was correct that Nigeria wanted to be part of the first 40 but Nigeria missed that target because of the four months delay in sending the document from Abuja to New York. He is also correct that tobacco control advocates were involved. Truly, 150 copies of the FCTC were shipped overnight by night bus to Abuja for the Federal Executive Council meting. Those activists also came on hand when the official government gazette got stocked at the Government Press in Lagos. Mr Eze ought to have questions at home first before going on the net. There is a long list of international treaties ratified by the Nigerian government using same process.

Anybody, that is following tobacco news from Nigeria will know that what Mr. Eze said about the tobacco companies and the Nigerian government is a bundle of lies. The government has a gazetted document placing embargo on further tobacco investments in Nigeria. It stopped Japan Tobacco from establishing an $80 million cigarette plant in Nigeria. At a recent investment meeting in China, the Nigeria Investment Promotion Council made this very clear.

Way Forward

Nigeria is currently debating the National Tobacco Control Bill. The Public Hearing was opened by no other person than Senate President, David Mark, who made categorical statements such as “We stand between health and economy. That is the truth of the matter. People who are against it are worried about the impact on the health of Nigerians and people who are for it are saying well, the nation stands to benefit from it. The simple question is: “when do you begin to worry about economy? Is it when you are dead or when you are alive?” This got a huge coverage in the media.

Mr Eze was not at the Public Hearing but he should have read about the progress made on the National tobacco control bill. Apart from the Senate President, several senators have spoken at public fora about their support for the bill. If Mr. Eze has ever been involved in legislative advocacy, he would have realised that to get to public hearing, the Bill has passed two plenary debates and there were none of his federal legislators with “ palpable animosity” to shoot down the bill. Infact lets ask ourselves how many bill get passed first reading and second reading at the Nigerian Senate? Getting the National Tobacco Control Bill up to a successful Public Hearing in a country with huge BAT investment is no mean feat. It should not be trivialised. It cannot be wished away.

It is imperative to state that with the government agencies that were present at the public hearing, which attracted the best Parliamentarians and lawyers you can think of in Nigeria today no one, not even all the tobacco companies present raised any question around Nigeria’s ratification. Infact that was the first issue that was settled before the draft bill went to parliament. Nigeria needs no spoiler now. (The Public hearing had the most respected Professor of law, Yemi Osibajo (SAN), Barrister Uche Onyeaghucha, Prof jubril Aminu, Marian Uwais, a bar leader , Nurudeen Ogbara and some Senators who are also lawyers)

What Nigeria needs now is not ratification campaign but the passage of the Tobacco Control Bill.

The intent and motive of this debate is mischievous, and we should put this debate to death.


--Regards,

Tosin Orogun
Programme Manager

Africa Tobacco Control Regional Initiative (ATCRI)
Initiative régionale pour la lutte contre le tabac en Afrique (IRCTA)
Iniciativa regional para a luta contra o tabaco em África (IRCTA)



Phone: +234[802] 390 2518, +234[1] 811 1319
Email: Tosin.Orogun@atcri.org
Skype: tosinorogun
Windows Live Messenger: tosin.orogun@atcri.org
Website: http://www.atcri.org/

SOURCE

Has Nigeria indeed ratified the FCTC?

Dear Colleagues,

Has Nigeria indeed ratified the FCTC?

The title of this seems and is shocking, as it appears to contradict with the reality of the deposition of an ‘Instrument of Ratification’ of the FCTC by a Nigerian government official at the Headquarters of the appropriate place for such depositions on the 20th of October 2005.

Ratification of international treaties and conventions, it must be stressed is a technical requirement. The ‘deposition of an instrument of ratification’ is primarily symbolic and ought to be the culmination of a ratification process.

THE NIGERIAN SITUATION

Nigeria operates a Presidential system of government modeled after the system practiced in the United States of America, with a President heading the Executive arm of government and a bi-cameral legislative structure at the federal level comprised of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Signing of international treaties, conventions and instruments is the prerogative of the Executive arm of government; ratification of such instruments is done by the Legislature.

The FCTC was duly signed by Nigeria – authorization to do so having been made at a duly constituted meeting of Nigeria’s Federal Executive Council.

Ratification of international instruments on the other hand is a function of the legislative arm of government. The Executive presents signed international instruments, to the Legislators (in the case of Nigeria, to the Senate and House of Representative) for ratification.

HOW WAS THE RATIFICATION ATTAINED?
Tobacco control activists across Nigeria were engrossed in ensuring that we were not left behind in becoming one of the first 40 countries to ratify the FCTC. Towards ensuring ratification, different activists and advocates were focused on different legislators and other relevant policy makers. As such when the announcement was made of Nigeria having deposited the instrument of ratification, we were all engulfed in the euphoria of the moment and the positive advantages that would accrue to our country (and probably our prestige amongst international colleagues) by virtue of the ratification it obviously skipped our minds to ask two pertinent questions: How and When?

BACKGROUND
We first stumbled across the hint of non-ratification by Nigeria in the course of our RITC sponsored research project on “Empowering Civil Society to become effective advocates for the ratification/accession of the FCTC in the West Africa sub-region”, as some legislators seemed rather ignorant of what they ought to have ‘ratified’.

Following palpable animosity displayed by some federal legislators towards the FCTC in the course of a recent Public Hearing on a draft tobacco control bill, we undertook a more detailed study of the legislative records of proceedings for the period immediately preceding the ‘deposition of the instrument of ratification’ by Nigeria.

We were embarrassed and stunned by our findings - the FCTC (either as an entity, in whole or in part) has never been presented, debated upon or approved by neither the Nigerian Senate nor the House of Representatives acting jointly or severally. Legally and technically speaking Nigeria COULD NOT AND HAS NOT ratified the FCTC. HOW COULD THIS HAVE HAPPENED?Under the immediate past rulership of General Olusegun Obasanjo,(during which period the FCTC was purportedly ratified), due process and rule of law were distant from the regimes priorities. Countless blunders were made with regards to international legal instruments – one of the most apparent being the ceding away of some parts of Nigeria (Bakassi area) to Cameron by Executive fiat. The current regime of President Yar’Adua had to revert and represent the matter for Legislative approval to correct the anomaly.

In my thinking a ‘zealous’ bureaucrat at the Nigerian mission to the United Nations headquarters must have dipped hands into his drawers, brought out a pre-typed ‘instrument of ratification’ and probably added the name “Framework Convention on Tobacco Control” to the instrument, deposited same at the appropriate place for the deposition of ‘instrument of Ratification’ and pronto, Nigeria had ratified. Is this what a Ratification should be like? Definitely No!

IMPLICATION OF NON-RATIFICATION WHILST MASQUERADING AS A STATE PARTY TO THE FCTC.
All international instruments duly ratified by Nigeria (signed by the Executive arm and approved by the Legislative arm of government) automatically become a component part of our domestic legislations. In the case of the FCTC, it would have been possible for an interested party in Nigeria to sue the Government of Nigeria compelling it to show plans or actions towards attaining some of the time-bound specifications contained in the FCTC.

Non-Ratification means that the FCTC is unknown to the Nigerian legal system and cannot found any action in a Nigerian Court.

This situation is unfortunate and I am very sure the tobacco multinationals based in Nigeria would be laughing themselves silly at our folly.

THE WAY FORWARD.

It is a fact that one cannot expect the officials of the United Nations or the World Health Organization to begin to enquire into the format of individual country legal systems to confirm ratification or otherwise. It however behoves on interested parties to communicate the reality in the hope that records could be set right for the overriding benefit of our country.

Nigeria’s status (not ratified) with regards to the FCTC should be properly reflected to serve as an impetus to ensure the Ratification of the FCTC by Nigeria.

WHY NOW?
With Nigeria’s recent election as a non Permanent Member of the Security Council for the next one year, we are provided with a unique opportunity to ask the current regime in Nigeria to live up to Nigeria’s ranking in Africa by Ratifying the FCTC – I will bet you such pressure works like magic where we come from.

Recent fraternization between our Government and tobacco multinationals operating in Nigeria (symbolized by the recent Nigerian business delegation to the Gulf Arab States led by our Vice President, wherein British America Tobacco Plc and two other companies were showcased) highlights the reality that those in government are not unaware of the anomaly of Nigerians listing on the FCTC as a country that has ‘ratified’ the FCTC.

It must be done right for it to be useful and meaningful!Are there any other African countries or other jurisdictions in similar situations? I will like to hear from advocates from such countries and other legal experts on how to overcome this bizarre situation.

I also look forward to discussing the matter at the forthcoming Lawyers Circle workshop on the FCTC scheduled for Nairobi Kenya.

Regards

Eze Eluchie, Esq

Executive Director
People Against Drug Dependence & Ignorance (PADDI Foundation)
1st Bus Stop Road
(Kilometer 4, Owerri – Onitsha Road)
Irete, Owerri
Imo State
Nigeria
Tel: 234-83-303686234-8023237448
http://www.paddi.globalink.org/

SOURCE

Text messaging found to help smokers

REUTERS
October 8, 2009 05:01AMT

Text messaging can help smokers quit the habit, according to an international study.

A review of four trials conducted in New Zealand, Britain and Norway, found that programs to help people stop smoking that included text-messaged advice doubled the chances that smokers would be able to kick the habit for up to a year.

The trials, involving 2,600 smokers, used text messages as a way to give smokers daily advice and encouragement and also offered support when quitters needed it the most.

If they found themselves craving nicotine, for example, they could text "crave" to the program and get immediate advice on what to do.

"We know that stopping smoking can be really difficult and most people take several attempts to quit successfully," researcher Robyn Whittaker from the University of Auckland in New Zealand told Reuters Health.

"It is important to be able to offer lots of different options for extra support."
Two of the studies looked at programs that only involved text messages, finding that the service doubled the odds that smokers would quit over six weeks.

The other two studies focused on a program in Norway that used text messages, emails and a dedicated Web site. It found that smokers who used the program were twice as likely to report abstinence for up to one year.

The findings appeared in the Cochrane Library, a publication of the international research organization the Cochrane Collaboration.

However the studies found the majority of smokers taking part in the studies did not succeed in quitting, regardless of whether they had text-message help.

One of the programs in the study, called Txt2Quit, is running in New Zealand, with government funding, and automatically sends users two to three text messages per day shortly before a designated "quit date," and for one month afterwards.

A recent review of people who took part in the program's first year found that one-third did not smoke four weeks after their quit date. That figure dropped to 16 percent after 22 weeks.

Whittaker said it is estimated that only about 5 percent of smokers are able to kick the habit without any help.

But text messages could serve as one more tool in the smoking-cessation arsenal and may be effective for some people because they can get help when cravings strike.

"The frequent messages can also act as a good reminder and motivation to keep going," Whittaker said.

SOURCE

Smokers more prone to developing tuberculosis

Although, smoking per se does not cause the TB disease, experts warn that those infected with the bacteria run the greater risk of developing the disease if they are smokers...the person who smokes has greater affinity to develop active TB disease, since smoking is a very important predisposition factor to the disease

Researchers Call for Stronger Controls on Tobacco

The debate over a new and wholistic national tobacco control laws in Nigeria have been the concern of Anti-Tobacco Control Advocates, Nigerian Government and those engaging in the cultivation, processing, distribution, advertising and marketing of tobacco's lethal products.

A Public Hearing on the National Tobacco Control Bill 2009 was held on July 21 and 22 by the Nigeria Senate's Health Committe to this effect, in which over 40 civil society group made presentaions. The bill which would amend the 1990 Tobacco Control Laws of Nigeria is sponsored by Deputy Minority Leader, Senator OlorunimbeMamora, will completely domesticate the WHO Framework Convention onTobacco Control (FCTC), which Nigeria signed in 2004 and ratified in2005 but is yet to fully domesticate in Nigeria.

The imperative of a new tobacco control laws is not new to Nigeria as example abound elsewhere in the world. The New Zealand case report below not only call for a stronger control but emphaise the rich benefits of putting one in place as well as the modalities. In other word, the draft National Tobocco Control Bill 2009 is a product of a rich consultation so that when passed into law will be adequate to address the subject matter of tobacco control beyond the scope its 1990 content would.

New Zealand- Call for Stronger Controls on Tobacco

Health researchers say tobacco control policies should be strengthened or modified because they have reduced smoking by only 3%.
The issue is being discussed at the public health association conference at Otago University in Dunedin.
Professor Peter Crampton from Otago University campus in Wellington told delegates that in 1996 about 24% of New Zealanders were smokers. Despite significant reforms, he says, a decade later that figure had dropped by just 3%.
Professor Crampton says smoking prevalence has actually increased over that period in several demographics. He believes the figures illustrate that dramatic changes to tobacco policy are required.
Another researcher, Professor Richard Edwards, suggests a tobacco supply agency be established to restrict the amount of tobacco entering New Zealand.
He says the agency would buy the tobacco from the tobacco industry and then control how and where it was sold.
Professor Edwards says sales could be banned within 1km of schools and tobacco sold in plain packaging featuring only health warnings.

Copyright © 2009 Radio New Zealand

NIGERIA: A BILL FOR AN ACT TO AMEND TOBACCO CONTROL ACT

The Bill Seeks to repeal the Tobacco Control Act 1990 Cap. T16 Laws of the Fedaration and to Enact the National Tobacco Bill 2009 to provide for the regulation or Control of Production, Manufacture, Sale, Advertising, Promotion, and Sponsorship of Tobacco or Tobacco Product in Nigeria.

The People v. Big Tobacco

-By Adeola Akinremi

How many people are we willing to sacrifice as a nation to continue to keep the tobacco industry in business? Since the Senate pushed the National Tobacco Bill 2009 through Second Reading in February and mandating Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-led Senate Health Committee to finalise work on the Bill and re-present to the National Assembly for enactment into law, the tobacco industry has become more aggressive in its usual tactics of distorting the truth both in the public places and at the chambers of the National Assembly.

The issue is what does regulation of tobacco product seeks to address in Nigeria. The bill at the Senate would mandate a total reformation and restructuring of how tobacco products are manufactured, marketed and distributed in this country. The nation can thereby see real and swift progress in preventing underage use of tobacco, addressing the adverse health effects of tobacco use and changing the corporate culture of the tobacco industry.

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administrative and Control (NAFDAC) and other public health protection agencies have spoken out about the hazards of tobacco and they view the use of tobacco products by our nation’s children as paediatric disease. There is also a consensus within the scientific and medical communities that tobacco products are inherently dangerous. They cause cancer, heart disease and other serious adverse effects.

Until now, the federal and state governments have lacked many of the legal means and resources they need to address the societal problems caused by the use of tobacco products. It is against this backdrop that Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora and the entire Senate should be commended for initiating the bill and moving it through second reading unanimously. The National Tobacco bill will indeed provide a platform for the government to achieve the public health objectives with which they were charged while taking the oath of office.

Beyond the cynicism of the tobacco companies and their hirelings in the Senate and the media who are subverting the truth; the sale of tobacco products to adults would remain legal, but subject to restrictive measures to ensure that they are not sold to underage persons. These measures echoes the mind of federal and state public health officials, the public health community and the public at large that the tobacco industry should be subject to serious regulatory oversight given the industry open admittance that its products kills.

Enacting a comprehensive legislation at this time to implement the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) which Nigeria ratifies in 2005 would ensure a healthy population where burden of treating tobacco-related diseases no longer put pressure on the annual health budget of Nigeria.

Importantly, the speed of enactment of this legislation will show that the government cares more for the future health of the country’s children than for the economic wealth of the tobacco industry.

In Mauritius, an African country with a small population will in June begin implementation of pictorial warnings on cigarette packs that covers 65 per cent of the packets. Pictorial warning is contained in article 11 of the WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).
World Health Organisation particularly approves of tobacco health warnings that contain both pictures and words because they are the most effective at convincing people to quit.

According to the WHO, “Incorporation of Pictorial Warning on tobacco product packets is important as majority of the tobacco users in this country will be able to have informed choice.”
The Senate will therefore be doing this nation a lot of good by passing this bill on time because the burden of cancer in Nigeria is appreciable and tobacco contributes a lot to this. The WHO states that there are an estimated 100,000 new cancer cases in the country each year although observers believe the figure could become as high as 500,000 new cases annually by 2010.

In 2005 cancer killed 89,000 people in Nigeria with 54,000 of this figure below the age of 70. Essentially, with the passage of this bill, which will properly regulate tobacco use, cancer and other tobacco-related diseases are bound to be on the recoil.

***Adeola Akinremi is the African Regional Coordinator, Framework Convention Alliance[FAC] an Inter governmental policy organisation based in Geneva, Switzerland.

SOURCE