WHO calls for global ban on tobacco

World Health Organization (WHO) has called for total ban on advertising, promotion and sponsorship of tobacco in the world over to discourage people from patronizing and consuming the carcinogenic product for a healthy living.

The UN health agency in its latest campaign against tobacco smoking released on Saturday, stated that tobacco packaging is a form of advertising that often misleads consumers.

“Complete bans on: advertising, promotion and sponsorship are needed to fight big tobacco!

“It’s time for NO Tobacco for everyone, everywhere!”, said WHO.

According to Tobacco Atlas, tobacco harms the health, the treasury, and the spirit of Nigeria as every year, more than 16, 100 of its people are killed by tobacco-caused disease and still, more than 25, 000 children (10-14 years old) and 7, 488,000 adults (15+ years old) continue to use tobacco each day.

“Complacency in the face of the tobacco epidemic insulates the tobacco industry in Nigeria and ensures that tobacco’s death toll will grow every year.

“Tobacco control advocates must reach out to other communities and resources to strengthen their efforts and create change”, it suggested.

In Nigeria, it is part of government policy that, all tobacco companies must boldly write on their products packs that, “THE FEDERAL MINISTRY OF HEALTH WARNS THAT SMOKERS ARE LIABLE TO DIE YOUNG,” as one of the control measures to discourage smoking habit among Nigerians inline with WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.