Stellamaries Amuwa takes a look at the recent tobacco control bill signed into law by former President Goodluck Jonathan and how the larger society reacts to it.
The tobacco control bill signed into law by former president, Goodluck Jonathan, hours to the end of his tenure has continued to be a subject of debate among stakeholders. While others considered it a welcome development others are of the view that the government failed to approach the law from a holistic point of view. The former president signed the bill alongside five others, such as; National Sugar Development Council (amendment) bill, AMCON Amendment bill, Standards Organization of Nigeria Bill, Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency Act and Equipment Leasing bill.
Similar cases Last year, a health official said China was considering raising cigarette prices and taxes. The State Council, China’s cabinet, had issued a draft regulation to ban indoor smoking, limit outdoor smoking and end tobacco advertising. The amended law also outlaws tobacco products, their packaging and trademarks in advertisements for other products or services.
On the other hand, in order to reduce the potential burden of diseases, the World Health Organization(WHO) successfully rallied 168 countries to sign the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in 2003 The Convention is designed to push for effective legislation and its enforcement in all countries to reduce the harmful effects of tobacco. In the United States, The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (Tobacco Control Act) became law in 2009 giving the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the authority to regulate the manufacture, distribution, and marketing of tobacco products to protect public health.
At the beginning The history of chewing of Tobacco is as old as the history of mankind. This habit had been widespread among agricultural population of the world. Soldiers had found the quid a solace in the field and continued to revolve it in their mouths upon returning to their homes. It is also on record that people of old used the substance to relax.
With a change in demand and a change in labour force, Economic Confidential findings revealed that an avid craftsman, James Bonsak in 1881 created a machine that revolutionized cigarette production. The machine chopped the tobacco, then dropped a certain amount of the tobacco into a long tube of paper, which the machine would then roll and push out the end where it would be sliced by the machine into individual cigarettes. This machine operated at thirteen times the speed of a human cigarette roller. As the years rolled by, this caused an enormous growth in the tobacco industry that lasted well into the 20th century until the consequences of smoking was discovered and tobacco companies adding chemical additives were revealed.
Health Concerns
Until in 1948 when a British physiologist Richard Doll published the first major studies that proved that smoking could cause serious health damage that, a chunk population of the world, who became addictive to smoking, could not realize the negative effect of tobacco intake. According to the Rechard Doll’s report, there is a close link between smoking and lung cancer. Another a study of some 40 thousand doctors over 20 years confirmed the suggestion based on which the government issued advice that smoking and lung cancer rates were related.
People’s reaction
A public affairs analyst, Emmanuel Ugbu asked what the transition plan is for people who are tobacco farmers in the country. Is there any empowerment plan for them by the government? Because you don’t just expect these guys to quit what has been putting food on their table to become redundant because of a certain law that appear not to have the interest of the citizenry. He said it is always important for government to adopt a holistic approach when dealing with issues of this magnitude. For him, smoking is a habit and if government should enact a law that will not be in favour of tobacco farmers, their patrons may choose to get it from neighbouring countries thereby adding to that country’s revenue.
It will be recalled that tobacco advertising in any media format was banned in 2002. Ever since the tobacco companies, especially BATN which was a heavy advertiser at the time, had since then stopped any form of advertising either on radio, television or the print media. What effect has this on the control of tobacco intake as people are seen smoking every now and again he posited.
While such anti tobacco activities are ongoing, some stakeholders are of the view that efforts of anti-tobacco use promoters and the legislature could be better served if individual rights are given a lot more emphasis. According to them, such rights as promotion of a clear individual rights perspective in tobacco control could win support bit of smoking from those who may have been concerned about loss of or interference with personal freedom, excessive governmental power, use of social coercion, or the rights of smokers. For instance, Wale Okoya expressed worried that the National Assembly was exerting energy legislating on laws that would limit adult buying choices. “If I decide to smoke and die does it concern anybody?” he queried.
“What is their business with tobacco? If I want to smoke it’s my business. It’s like some of the things we take for granted. For instance, the number of people dying quietly just because of fake and counterfeit drugs is mind boggling. Do we have enough legislation on that? Do we have advocates behind this already? Instead of them to find areas of life where there are silent killers that are causing damage in their own quiet ways, these are areas they should really focus on instead of wasting time on tobacco,” he noted.
