Jigawa and Kano states rank highest in the consumption of tobacco nationwide, the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), has said.
CISLAC Senior Programmes Officer, Mr Solomon Adoga told our reporter Thursday in an interview during a one day stakeholders’ meeting held in Dutse that smoking in these two states has reached an alarming rate.
He said the meeting was organised for relevant stakeholders, including traditional rulers, religious leaders, youth groups, civil society organisations and the media to help create awareness on the dangers of tobacco smoking.
He explained that the meeting was to also advocate to both the executive and the legislature to domesticate and adopt the laws regulating smoking in the states.
At the stakeholders’ engagement, Mr Adoga said smoking habit among the youth, women and men in Jigawa and Kano top the list of states in the North-west Nigeria.
The one day meeting which was supported by Tax Justice Network on Tobacco taxation in Jigawa would reduce its use as it is dangerous to health.
“It is the high level stakeholders’ engagement that focuses more on how Jigawa state government can adopt and domesticate the national framework for tobacco control.
“It is unfortunate that research shows Kano/ Jigawa are on top of the list states addicted to tobacco use in Nigeria, while majority of users are youths and minors.
“To control the use of tobacco, it is of paramount that Jigawa state government has to adopt and domesticate the National Tobacco Control Act 2015 and Tobacco Tax Policy to save the lives of our youth, who are future leaders of our state,” Adoga stressed.
According to him that the laws need to be adopted includimg ban on sell of cigarettes single stick, prohibition of smoking in public places and sells of Tobacco to minors, under 18 years old in the state.
“I urged the participants to support the moves by amplifying their voices to achieve the desired goals for better future development of the state and to save thousands lives of our teeming youths,” Adoga said.
