The economic burden of tobacco consumption in Nigeria totals roughly N211.2 billion annually, spanning direct healthcare costs and indirect losses from illness and premature death.

The spokesman for the Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance, Emmanuel Onwuka, said this on Monday in Calabar.

World No Tobacco Day is celebrated annually on May 31.

The theme for the 2026 commemoration is ‘Unmasking the Appeal: Countering Nicotine and Tobacco Addiction’, which highlights deceptive marketing strategies targeting young people.

Mr Onwuka also said the tobacco industry has continued to target young people through sophisticated marketing strategies that exploit their aspirations, emotions, fears, and desire for social acceptance.

He noted that Nigerian youths are increasingly exposed to smoking, shisha, and vaping content through music videos, fashion trends, entertainment platforms, and social media channels.

“Attractive flavours, colourful packaging, and glamorous branding often conceal the devastating realities of addiction, disease, and premature death. Recent studies show that nearly one in five Nigerian schoolchildren aged 13 to 15 has experimented with at least one tobacco product, while about one in 10 adolescents in the same age bracket are current smokers in spite of years of public health campaigns and awareness programmes,” said Mr Onwuka.

Mr Onwuka explained that the figures indicated that the tobacco industry tactics remained effective, while weak enforcement of the National Tobacco Control Act continues exposing adolescents to recruitment.  He noted that tobacco use remained a major driver of non-communicable diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lung cancer.

Mr Onwuka said that, following the Global Burden of Disease Study, almost 30,000 deaths recorded in Nigeria in 2021 were directly linked to tobacco-related illnesses. He stated that many households face financial hardship from treatment costs, while exposure to second-hand smoke continues threatening children and pregnant women nationwide.

Mr Onwuka called on parents, lawmakers, civil society groups, and young people to unite in protecting future generations from nicotine addiction and commercial exploitation.

“I urge governments to fully implement their commitments under the World Health Organisation Convention on Tobacco Control through stronger political commitment and regulatory enforcement. We also advocate closing loopholes in the 2015 National Tobacco Control Act and 2019 regulations while banning all tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship across media platforms,” he said.

Mr Onwuka added that World No Tobacco Day should serve as a renewed call for urgent action to safeguard public health, strengthen the economy, and secure Nigeria’s future.

(NAN)