British American Tobacco has begun a ‘kill it’ aggressive campaign against Nigerian journalists following wide reports of the legal action instituted against it by some Nigerian states and Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth-Nigeria
BAT’s officials are now regularly meeting media owners and editors in Nigeria to stifle reports.
There are instances where journalists have been called to arrange special meetings in ‘cash for reports’ or ‘kill the reports’ cases.
”I am neck-deep into the tobacco story. BAT has been bombarding me with calls and emails since I let them know I am doing a story on the libels etc.
They sent me lots of stuffs on their 'corporate responsibility’.
The first message journalists receive comes this way and then from there they arrange special meetings. One of many journalists who have been approached wrote me this piece.
British American Tobacco (BAT) is desperate to quash the cases against it in Nigeria's High courts of Lagos and Kanorespectively. The two states are the most populous and great in commercial buzz.
BAT is also trying to buy time as it told a Lagos High Court that it lacked the jurisdiction to hear a $21 billion suit initiated against it by the state government.
BAT objected to the jurisdiction of the Lagos State High Court to entertain the suit on three grounds:
that the matter was entirely a tobacco control and advertisement matter, that the claimants did not pay filing fees, and that the claimant had not substantiated their medical claims.
But, now there is no place for BAT to hide any longer in Nigeria as other states in Nigeria are heading for courts for same purpose. It is expected that by October 2007 all states of the federation would have filed suit against BAT.
The Gombe State government has joined the fray to become the third state, filing a similar action in its state High Court seeking extensive reliefs from the Gombe State High Court against BAT and others.
The focus of the case is the prevention of youth smoking, the amelioration of the impending health epidemic in Gombe State, and recovery of health care costs expended by the state government in treating tobacco related diseases.
The state also seeks about N600 billion in special, anticipatory and punitive damages from the defendants.
PASSIVE SMOKE, MORE HARMFUL
On behalf of the coalitions, networks, alliances, non-governmental organisations and the general public, governments all over the world are hereby called upon to take urgent steps in placing comprehensive bans on indoor smoking in public areas owing to the increasing rate of preventable diseases and deaths caused by tobacco smoke which has 4000 chemical substances with 40 cancerous ones.
Cigarette smoke is not only harmful to smokers but to non-smokers. There are presently about Five Million deaths worldwide annually.It amazingly causes more deaths than AIDS, AUTO-ACCIDENTS, FIRE-OUTBREAKS AND HOMICIDE conbined.
The WHO which observed the World No Tobacco Day recently, enacted a treaty on tobacco control called the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Am happy that a lot of governments have signed up and ratified this treaty including Nigeria where I come from. However, I call again on the policymakers to take further steps in "Curbing this Epidemic". A non-smoker exposed to secondary smoke is at great risks of lung cancer, cardiovascular diseases, heart attack to mention but a few.
Children with smoking parents are more sick with more frequent colds and flu, ear infections, asthma, bronchitis and pneumonia may be due in part to cigarette smoke. Babies born to smokers may have a lower birth weight and slowed lung development. They are more likely to be hospitalised in their first two years of life. In addtion, they will be more prone to smoke themselves as teens and/or adults.
Lets therfore, encourage a Smoke-Free worlds at large devoid of preventable diseases and deaths caused by tobacco.
Emmanuel Odiase
Smokefree Nigeria Action Foundation (SNAF)
17, Dunukofia Street,
Area 11, Garki,
Abuja.
234-8055511620,
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Posted by: EMMANUEL ODIASE | June 21, 2007 at 12:24 PM
ABUJA: Model Smoke-free Jurisdiction
According to a CDC study, published in this week's issue of the
CDC journal Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), the
number of states with strong smokefree laws (in effect) tripled
between 2005 and 2007. During the study period, 18 states
strengthened smokefree protections in private sector worksites,
18 states strengthened protections in restaurants, and 12 states
strengthened protections in bars. No state weakened smokefree
protections. In addition, the states of Illinois and Maryland
passed a law, but they were not in effect at the end of the
study period.
To date, there are now 27 states with a 100% smokefree provision
in effect covering non-hospitality workplaces, restaurants,
and/or bars, and another five that have been enacted but are not
yet or are only partially in effect (IA, OR, MT, UT, NE). ANR
defines smokefree as not allowing smoking at any time, anywhere
in the establishment, and without exemptions for small
businesses or ventilated spaces.
This study did not address progress among local municipalities,
but it is important to note the impressive progress made at the
local level as well. The ANR Foundation tracks and analyzes
local tobacco control laws via its US Tobacco Control Laws
database. During the same time period noted in the CDC study
(12/31/04 - 12/31/07), the total number of local smokefree laws
in non-hospitality workplaces, restaurants, and/or bars nearly
doubled, increasing from 358 to 685. This is significant given
that most strong 100% statewide laws were preceded by action at
the local level.
A few states are exceptions to this "local first" rule,
particularly among those states that were strapped with
statewide preemption legislation that prohibited local control
and authority of smokefree laws. One example of a state passing
a statewide smokefree law without any prior local action is
Delaware. In 2002, Delaware became the first state to repeal
preemption when it passed its smokefree law, thereby granting
authority back to local governments to enact additional
smokefree laws as needed. At the peak, there were 23 states with
partial or full preemption; today, the number has dropped to 14.
While we are seeing a successful downward trend in preemption,
we are well-aware that this continues to be a top priority for
the tobacco industry and we must all remain vigilant in opposing
any language in state bills that would restrict the authority of
local governments to protect their citizens from exposure to
secondhand smoke. States like South Carolina, where local action
is just beginning to get into full swing, have already defeated
preemptive state legislative bills and expect more fights in the
next session.
Clearly, the U.S. is well on its way to becoming entirely
smokefree. Smokefree air is good for health and good for
business, and everyone has the right to breathe smokefree air.
We at ANR intend to do our very best to close the gaps in
smokefree protections by working with our members and friends on
the ground to pass more smokefree laws, continue to expose
tobacco industry interference, and continue to mobilize the next
generation of nonsmokers.
Nigerians should rise up to this challenge. Abuja joins the SMOKEFREE cities come 1st June, 2008. Congratulation ot the F.C.T
Minister for this giant stride, a committment to public Health.
For more information on secondhand smoke, model legislation, or
smokefree lists and maps, contact us at [email protected] or at234-9-4825685.
Posted by: Emmanuel Odiase | May 23, 2008 at 03:03 PM