The bill will prohibit the sale of tobacco products to minors under 18 and the sale by the sticks as well as advertising, sponsorhip and promotion.
Source: thisdayonline
Group Lauds Senate over Anti-tobacco Bill
By Godwin Haruna, 02.13.2009
Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth, Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), has commended the Senate for giving overwhelming support to the National Tobacco Control Bill 2009, which scaled the second reading last Wednesday.
ERA/FoEN said the bill, when passed into law, would have "far-reaching" implications on the well-being of Nigerians.
Reacting to the Senate's mandate to its Committee on Health to process
a bill to control the manufacture, sale and advertising of tobacco
products among others, yesterday, ERA/FoEN said the decision marks a
"turning point" in the tortuous campaign to bring to an end,
tobacco-related deaths in the country.
The bill makes it an offence to sell or market tobacco products to
persons under the age of 18 years and imposes a fine not exceeding
N50,000 or imprisonment of a term not exceeding six months or both on
violators. It also prohibits sale of cigarettes by the sticks, all
forms of advertisements, sponsorships, testimonials and promotion.
Senate Deputy Minority Leader, Olorunnimbe Mamora, who sponsored the
bill, noted strongly that while the much-hyped British American Tobacco
Nigeria (BATN) operations had provided jobs for less than 1,000
Nigerians, it is responsible for the death and ill-health of several
thousands.
"This is a positive rhythm coming from the Senate, because the
overwhelming support the bill received is a clear indication that the
Senate acted in tandem with wishes and aspirations of Nigerians that
appropriate legislation are urgently needed to curtail activities of
the tobacco industry and rescue millions of Nigerians from the pangs of
tobacco addiction," ERA/FoEN Programme Manager, Mr Akinbode Oluwafemi,
said.
Source: thisdayonline
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