As the world marks World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) today, an appeal has gone to the National Assembly to ensure the passage of the National Tobacco Control Bill. Speaking yesterday at a press conference in Lagos, the Director of Corporate Campaign, Environment Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA), Akinbode Oluwafemi, urged the National to pass the bill before it winds up this week.Oluwafemi said: “The passage of the bill will mark a wonderful gift to all Nigerians and the public health community globally.” He said the bill is in line with the World Health Organisation’s treaty which is the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), adding that the lawmakers should waste no time in ensuring the bill becomes a law.
“Efforts to arrest the problem of tobacco smoking must be global in scope and perspective. Tobacco is a killer. It kills half of its users. It currently kills about six million people in year. Latest projection says by 2030, it will be killing 10 million people a year,” Oluwafemi said.
“Efforts to arrest the problem of tobacco smoking must be global in scope and perspective. Tobacco is a killer. It kills half of its users. It currently kills about six million people in year. Latest projection says by 2030, it will be killing 10 million people a year,” Oluwafemi said.
