Parents across the Federal Capital Territory have called on the federal government to take decisive action against the growing availability of banned products, particularly those targeting children.

The parents expressed concern over the increasing use of flavoured tobacco and e-cigarettes by minors in an interview with journalists on Tuesday in Abuja.

Their discussion was part of activities marking the 2025 Children’s Day.

The parents aligned with this year’s theme: “Enhancing the Total Well-being of Children Through Quality Education and Skill Development.”

They argued that no meaningful development could occur if children were trapped in a cycle of addiction from an early age.

A mother of three from Gwarinpa, Olamide Bello, said, “Our children cannot learn or thrive in school if they’re battling addiction. These flavoured vapes and tobacco products are undermining their health and future.”

Ms Bello also raised concern about how tobacco companies market candy, fruit, and menthol-flavoured e-cigarettes to children using appealing packaging and social media influencers.

She urged the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the Federal Competition & Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to urgently introduce enforceable guidelines to ban the sale and promotion of such products.

A trader and mother of four, Comfort Shamaki, recounted seeing minors openly buying the items in Garki Market.

“They smell like sweets and are sold next to snacks. It’s a deliberate trap,” she said.

A parent and school volunteer in Asokoro, Chinyere Eze, said children as young as 13 were seen vaping, mimicking trends they saw on TikTok and Instagram.

She emphasised the urgent need to ban the sale of flavoured tobacco and e-cigarettes to minors.

Ms Eze also urged the government to expand smoke-free public space laws to include e-cigarettes and shisha and to strictly regulate influencer marketing that targets young people.

At Wuse Market, a father of two, Emeka Okoro, said that he had personally confronted vendors selling nicotine products to students in school uniforms but saw no enforcement.

“If we do not fix this now, we will have a generation of addicts instead of skilled, educated leaders,” he warned.

Mr Okoro added that addiction posed a direct threat to children’s well-being and undermined the national goal of quality education and skill development.

He called for stiff penalties, including heavy fines and criminal prosecution, for retailers who continued to sell such products to minors.

“Children’s Day should remind us of our duty to protect the total well-being of our children, which includes shielding them from harmful substances that derail their education, health, and future,” he said.

As the country reflects on this year’s Children’s Day theme, parents and guardians are calling for collective action from the government, communities, schools, and the media.

They emphasise the need to ensure every child can grow up in a safe, addiction-free environment that supports their education, health, and overall development.

(NAN)