Buy or Sell Tobacco to Kids and face Jail Time, Nigeria’s Health Ministry launches Online Campaign
The Federal Ministry of Health has begun a #NoTobacco4Kids campaign in response to media reports that showed that Nigerians are still engaged in the sales of Tobacco to kids despite the announcement of the implementation of that section of the National Tobacco Control Act 2015 that bans the trade of tobacco products by persons under the age of 18.
The Honorable Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole on the World No Tobacco Day in May had announced the ban of the sale of cigarettes to underaged persons as part of 9 provisions of the act for immediate implementation.
The ministry which started the campaign through its official social media account, noted that individual offenders who continue to flout the provision are liable to one year jail term or a fine of up to 200,000 naira or both, citing Section 16 article 2 of the act.
“Persons below 18 years of age should not deal; Buy, Sell or Trade in Tobacco or Tobacco Products,” the ministry sai daily in a series of tweets.
“The Seller or Trader of Tobacco Products shall verify the age of the purchaser by checking any form of official identification.
“Every place of sale must state that Tobacco sales for persons under the age of 18 is prohibited.
The Ministry also disclosed that about 303,000 Boys and 67,000 Girls under the age of 18 smoke cigarettes daily in Nigeria, describing it as a public health threat.
The ministry also called on citizens to help spread the awareness of the act, urging them to freely report violations to the ministry using online and offline channels.
Recall that in August, the ministry locked horns with Nigerian entertainer Olamide over his free display of tobacco in his video ‘Wo’.
