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Daniel Kanu
Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) has asked the federal government to enforce the Tobacco Control Regulations without any further delay, following the gazetting of the National Tobacco Control (NTC) Regulations 2019.
The group made the call through its Deputy Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi in a statement it made available to Sunday Sun yesterday.
ERA/FoEN demanded among others “Prompt enforcement of the NTC Act 2015 and NTC Regulations 2019, particularly the implementation of the ban of sale of cigarettes to minors, ban of sale in single sticks and Pictorial Health Warnings.
“Inauguration of a Tobacco Control Fund as recommended in the NTC Act 2015. Synergy and Inter-governmental agency collaboration to enforce the NTC Act and its Regulations.
“Conformity with the provisions of the NTC Act 2015 which limits and requires transparency of interactions between government and the tobacco industry.”
Oluwafemi further disclosed that tobacco agencies were not sleeping but has remained clever and creative in their tactics, warning that they should be checkmated before they destroy the youths with their produce.
“It might interest you to know that the tobacco industry has not been sleeping. They have remained ingenious, working on new tactics to remain relevant and true to their bidding of stifling any form of regulation. For months we have noticed an uptick in their so-called Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities at state and national levels and on the social media space.” He noted.
