Group says increased tariff on Tobacco may curb prevalence
Chima Azubuike
The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), has blamed the prevalence of tobacco on the rate of purchase, adding that it with increased tariff government would boost revenue as well as discourage regular intake.
The group made this disclosure during its stakeholders’ meeting on Tobacco Taxation and Resource Mobilisation in Gombe, where it advised government to develop policies and legislative frameworks to control tobacco use in the state.
According to CISLAC, tobacco prevalence has been on the increase in Nigeria and other African countries, hence the need to develop means of curbing the menace.
Programme Officer of Democratic Governance at CISLAC Solomon Adoga explained that lives were being lost due to tobacco consumption and that it has become a public health issue, stressing that tobacco is not a contraband but one that constitutes risk.
He said, “as a public health concern it affects everybody, not just the users, there are people who are exposed through second-hand and third-hand smoke. Tobacco consumption creates environmental issues, creates health issues so it has become very important for governments at the national and state level to ensure that measures are put in place to curb the menace of these products.”
While lamenting the risk caused to the populace, Adoga said proceeds of the tax should be channelled to strengthening the health system.
“Some of the identified measures of tobacco control are tax-related and that it drives two benefits for states and the country, first, we described it as a win-win situation in terms of revenue generation for the state while on the other hand, it reduces demand for tobacco products.
“Health financing is at the downward level because resources are dwindling for governments at the national and subnational level, so we are bringing this message to see that there are creative ways that we can use to mobilise revenue for the government to fund health and other important critical sectors while also controlling tobacco use,” Adoga added.
On his part, Executive Director of CISLAC, Auwal Ibrahim-Musa, who was represented by Muhammed Murtala, said the conservation had started since 2015 at the national level, adding that the engagement was geared towards sensitising stakeholders in Gombe on the health and financial consequences of tobacco in the state.
Ibrahim-Musa said, “We felt that at the subnational level, these issues are not being discussed as it should, so we are now moving across states to ensure that policies and legislative frameworks are put in place at the subnational level to complement what the federal government has already done in ensuring that the 2015 Tobacco Control Act was in place.
“Our major objective of organising the meeting in Gombe is to improve the capacity of the stakeholders to understand the issues around tobacco use in the country and to encourage them to come up with sound policy and legislative framework so that tobacco use can be controlled in the state.”
While clarifying the intent of the meeting, the Executive Director said the call was to improve capacity of stakeholders, saying that with good policy Framework the stake would tackle its abuse.
“Our major objective of organising the meeting in Gombe is to improve the capacity of the stakeholders to understand the issues around tobacco use in the country and to encourage them to come up with sound policy and legislative framework so that tobacco use can be controlled in the state,” Ibrahim-Musa added.
We are not calling for the outright ban because tobacco products are actually legitimate products, but based on the economic and health effects it has on the livelihood of individuals we are calling on the state government to ensure that policies and legislative framework controlling tobacco use are in place in the state,” he said.
Periscope Nigeria reports that the meeting had representations from the media, Ministries Departments and Agencies and Civil Society Organisations.
