The Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance (NTCA) has expressed concern over the death of some 28,000 Nigerians annually due to the use of tobacco products.

NTCA chairman, Mr Akinbode Oluwafemi, while speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Friday, warned that if the trend continues, the number of fatalities arising from the use of tobacco products would rise significantly in the years ahead.

Oluwafemi who remarked that the introduction of graphic health warnings (GHWs) have proven to be an effective way of reducing tobacco use and its associated harms, expressed concern over the use of shisha and new tobacco products among the teeming population of Nigerian youths despite its health implications.

Reiterating the resolve by the NTCA to monitor compliance to the current set of warnings depicting a photo of mouth cancer billed to expire on June 22, 2025, he expressed dissatisfaction with the level of compliance to section 20 of the National Tobacco Control Act 2015 on tobacco products like shisha and vapes.

He noted: “It is now one year since the warnings came into effect. As an Alliance, we alerted our members in the Federal Capital Territory, as well as Abia, Kano, Bauchi, Plateau, Cross River and Lagos states to continually monitor compliance with the second phase of the warnings.

“From the findings, the compliance level on the conventional cigarette is above 80%. However, it is shocking to reveal that compliance is abysmal on other tobacco products like Shisha, and flavoured vapes, that are still illegally marketed in Nigeria this is unacceptable.

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“The tobacco industry should not undermine the laws governing its business in Nigeria. The profit-centred tobacco industry producing, importing and distributing these tobacco products is foot-dragging to weaken this policy because it knows that graphic health warnings reduce the number of people who start smoking, just as it encourages current smokers to quit. They can help to reduce the amount of tobacco consumed by current smokers.”

He thereby called on the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), the Nigeria police force, the Federal Competition and consumer protection commission, the federal ministry of health and relevant government enforcement and regulatory agencies to ensure effective implementation of graphic health warnings on all tobacco products.

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