Eight million Nigerians to die of tobacco-related ailments

FG releases Nigeria’s version of global adult tobacco survey report
President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday in Abuja released the Nigeria’s version of the Global Adult Tobacco Survey report.
Jonathan, represented by the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, said the consumption of tobacco was a major threat to public health and called on Nigerians to join the fight against it.
The survey was conducted by the Federal Ministry of Health with support from the National Bureau of Statistics and the World Health Organisation.
Jonathan said: “Available data shows that over five million people die each year from health conditions associated with tobacco use.
“Experts warned that if this trend continues, tobacco use will kill over eight million people each year by 2030.
“We have made efforts to control tobacco use in Nigeria, as you are aware that between 2004 and 2005, Nigeria assigned and ratified the WHO framework Convention on Tobacco Control.”
Jonathan promised to do his best to ensure that the “revised but stiffer anti-tobacco bill”, which will be presented to the Federal Executive Council, becomes law.
“If you smoke, chew or sniff tobacco or engage in all of them, please quit, your doctor and health care providers can help you break the habit,” the President said.
Jonathan called on all the states of the federation to emulate the Federal Capital Territory by banning tobacco smoking in public places.
In his remarks, the Country Representative of WHO, Dr. Rui Gamavaz, said that six million people died globally from the consumption of tobacco every year.
According to him, more than 600,000 people are exposed to second hand smoke.
Gamavaz warned that if the current trend continued by 2030, approximately 80 per cent of the eight million projected annual deaths from tobacco consumption would occur.
The country representative said Nigeria was the first African country to conduct the survey and pledged the continued support of WHO.
According to the report, 3.9 per cent of Nigerian adults are current smokers of any tobacco products, while 3.7 per cent smoked manufactured cigarettes.
The report stated that one per cent of Nigerians smoked hand rolled cigarettes and 0.8 per cent smoked other types of tobacco, while 7.1 per cent of Nigerian men smoked any tobacco product.
The report also recommended that effective and efficient enforcement of smoke free areas should be implemented throughout the country among other recommendations.