Recent assessment conducted by a tobacco control programme, Campaign for Tobacco – Free Kids (CTFK) has revealed widespread use and access to tobacco among youth in Nigeria.
The Minister of Youth Development, Dr. Jamila Bio Ibrahim, stated this when she received the Regional Director Bintou Camara Bityeki, who led a delegation from the organisation on a courtesy visit Friday in Abuja.
The minister said “our youth are particularly vulnerable to the effects of nicotine contained in tobacco, given its highly addictive nature and the fact that it can disrupt their brain development.
“More concerning is the fact that our adolescents between ages 13 and 15 have reported use of e-cigarettes, and of those who have used tobacco, 80% have used it before the age of 14 years. And we want you to note that this is not confined to a particular parish or socio-economic group – it is occurring across the length and breadth of Nigeria.”
The minister said the Tobacco World Day is celebrated annually to raise awareness and action towards the elimination of the use of tobacco, given its harmful effects on human health and development.
To address existing gaps and challenges in the country, the minister said the ministry will develop a comprehensive national campaign against smoking, especially sales of cigarettes at the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) camps and public places.
Ibrahim further maintained that the impact of the initiative was evident in the heightened health consciousness among Nigerians regarding the detriment effects associated with tobacco consumption, with particular emphasis on the younger generation and adolescents.
On her part, the Regional Director, Tobacco Control Programme (AFRO) campaign for tobacco – free kids, Bintou Camara Bityeki, emphasised that with this interaction with the minister, Nigeria will be moving in the right direction to protect citizens from the ill effects of tobacco.
