Feb. 28, 2022

Mr. Okeke Anya, the Programmes Manager, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), says no fewer than 16,000 Nigerians die annually from tobacco-related diseases.

Anya, who disclosed this in a meeting in Calabar on Monday to strengthen the anti-tobacco advocacy and Tobacco Tax Control Law in Cross River, added that eight million lives were annually lost globally to such diseases.

He expressed concern that if nothing was done, the effects of tobacco would continue to increase.

He said that for the past two years, CISLAC had been carrying out capacity building programmes to help people to understand tobacco control, especially as it relates to taxation.

He added that “the whole idea of our engagements is informed by the devastating effects of the use of tobacco.

“Can you imagine losing about eight million people to tobacco-related diseases globally and 16,000 in Nigeria annually; that is a huge number.

“We advocate for the engagement of the law in Lagos, Ekiti, Rivers, Cross River and several other states to support the National Tobacco Control Act. Just as the Child

Rights Act, there is a National Tobacco Act and states need to adopt this law to reduce the effect of tobacco on the people and boost taxation.”

On his part, the Executive Director of CISLAC, Auwal Rafsanjani, said tobacco taxation was an essential component of a comprehensive tobacco control strategy.

He explained that to fully realise the benefits, it was vital to understand the impact of increased taxes among high-risk sub populations.

He noted that “tobacco taxation, passed on to consumers in the form of higher cigarette prices, has been recognised as one of the most effective population-based strategies to reduce smoking and its adverse health consequences.

“As part of efforts to galvanise support for improved tobacco taxation regime in Nigeria, CISLAC is mobilising civil society engagement through effective advocacy.”

Also, Mr. Effiom Duke, representative of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Cross River and who presented a bill proposal, said if passed, it would aid tobacco tax control in the state.

Duke said “our intention is to join force with CISLAC to drive the anti-tobacco advocacy and the Tobacco Tax Control Law in Cross River.

“If everything goes as envisaged, maybe by the last quarter of the year, the Cross River Tobacco Tax Control Bill will be passed into law.”

The programme also featured training of CSOs on anti-tobacco advocacies through CISLAC’s Tax Justice Network Platform. (NAN)