Okeke Anya, the Programmes Manager, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, says no fewer than 16,000 Nigerians die annually from tobacco-related diseases.

Mr Anya disclosed this in Calabar on Monday, during a meeting to strengthen the anti-tobacco advocacy and Tobacco Tax Control Law in Cross River.

He said for the past two years, CISLAC had carryied out capacity building programmes to help people understand tobacco control, especially as it relates to taxation.

“The whole idea of our engagements is informed by the devastating effects of the use of tobacco.

“Can you imagine losing about eight million people to tobacco-related diseases globally and 16,000 in Nigeria annually; that is a huge number.

“We advocate for the engagement of the law in Lagos, Ekiti, Rivers, Cross River and several other states to support the National Tobacco Control Act,” he said.

Speaking further, Mr Anya added, “Just as the Child Rights Act, there is a National Tobacco Act and states need to adopt this law to reduce the effect of tobacco on the people and boost taxation.”

On his part, the Executive Director of CISLAC, Auwal Rafsanjani, said tobacco taxation was an essential component of a comprehensive tobacco control strategy.

He explained that to fully realise the benefits, it was vital to understand the impact of increased taxes among high-risk sub populations.

“Tobacco taxation, passed on to consumers in the form of higher cigarette prices, has been recognised as one of the most effective population-based strategies to reduce smoking and its adverse health consequences,” Mr Rafsanjani said.

Representative of Civil Society Organisations in Cross River state, Effiom Duke, who presented an anti-tobacco bill proposal, said if passed, the bill would aid tobacco tax control in the state.

(NAN)