Mothers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have expressed growing concern over the increasing practice of sending children to purchase cigarettes, describing it as harmful and unacceptable.

The mothers, who spoke on Thursday in Abuja, said the trend exposes children to unhealthy behaviour and undermines efforts to protect them from tobacco use.

A mother of four in Wuse, Ngozi Eze, said that asking children to buy cigarettes not only normalises smoking but also places them at risk of early experimentation.

“It is wrong to send a child to buy cigarettes. Even if they are not smoking, they are being exposed to it and may become curious.

“Some time ago, there was an advert on the television saying that any vendor who sells cigarettes and other tobacco products to children under the age of 18 is liable to spend one year in prison (or/and) a fine of N200,000,” Ms Eze said.

Similarly, a resident of Garki, Hannatu Bello, said that many adults overlook the long-term consequences of such actions.

“Children are impressionable. What they see repeatedly, they may want to try. We must be careful about the errands we send them to,” Ms Bello said.

She called for an increased public awareness and stricter enforcement of existing tobacco control laws to curb the practice.

A physical health education teacher, Matthew Adeyemi, said that the country’s National Tobacco Control Act prohibits the sale of tobacco products to persons under the age of 18 as part of measures to reduce tobacco consumption and protect public health.

Mr Adeyemi warned that early exposure to tobacco increases the likelihood of addiction and long-term health complications.

According to him, most adult smokers start using tobacco from adolescence, making it critical to limit children’s access and exposure to tobacco products.

A family lawyer in the FCT, Musa Ibrahim, said that beyond legislation, there was the need for community-level responsibility.

“Parents and guardians must lead by example. Sending children to buy cigarettes sends the wrong message and weakens public health campaigns,” Mr Ibrahim said.

He also blamed weak enforcement and compliance among cigarette vendors, noting that minors are often able to purchase tobacco products without restriction.

Mr Ibrahim urged relevant authorities to intensify monitoring and sanction erring cigarette retailers.

He added that protecting children from tobacco exposure requires collective action by families, communities, and government institutions.

Nigeria continues to record significant health and economic losses linked to tobacco use, according to data from the Tobacco Atlas 2025 Country Profile on Nigeria.

The report shows that tobacco use causes about 20,708 deaths annually in the country and costs an estimated ₦211.2 billion each year in direct healthcare spending and lost productivity.

It further indicates that while smoking prevalence among adults remains relatively low at 1.9 per cent, more than 3.5 million Nigerians are currently smokers, with the majority being men.

The data also raises concern about early exposure among young people, with about 0.85 per cent of adolescents aged 10 to 14 already using tobacco products.

(NAN)