By Folasade Akpan
The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) has called on the Federal Government to strengthen tobacco control measures, warning that tobacco-related illnesses claim up to 28,000 lives annually.
The National Chairman of ACPN, Mr Ambrose Ezeh, made the call in a statement issued to commemorate the 2026 World No Tobacco Day observed globally on May 31.
Ezeh urged the Federal Government to adopt stronger and more decisive tobacco control policies, including measures capable of eliminating nicotine from tobacco products.
He also advocated an outright ban on tobacco, arguing that Nigeria could no longer sustain the enormous health and economic burden associated with tobacco consumption nationwide.
Describing tobacco as one of the deadliest consumer products ever created, Ezeh said the annual observance highlighted the urgent need to combat the tobacco epidemic globally.
According to him, governments, healthcare professionals, civil society organisations and citizens must intensify efforts aimed at protecting populations from the devastating consequences of tobacco use.
“Tobacco remains one of the leading preventable causes of death worldwide. It kills up to half of its long-term users,” Ezeh said.
He added that tobacco was responsible for more than eight million deaths globally every year, including about 1.3 million non-smokers exposed to second-hand smoke.
The ACPN chairman disclosed that tobacco-related illnesses accounted for between 26,000 and 28,000 deaths annually in Nigeria, posing significant public health and economic challenges.
He said the deaths continued to place immense pressure on the nation’s healthcare system while undermining productivity and increasing the cost of managing preventable diseases.
Ezeh expressed concern over the growing prevalence of tobacco and nicotine use among young people, noting that millions of children worldwide currently consumed tobacco products.
He said an estimated 40 million children aged between 13 and 15 years globally use at least one tobacco product, exposing them to lifelong addiction.
According to him, tobacco manufacturers deliberately target young people through attractive flavours, deceptive packaging, aggressive branding and sophisticated marketing strategies designed to encourage nicotine dependence.
“The tobacco industry continues to target young people through carefully crafted campaigns designed to make harmful products appear attractive and harmless,” he said.
Ezeh warned that such tactics were creating a new generation of nicotine-dependent individuals and increasing the risk of tobacco-related diseases among younger populations.
He also raised concerns over the increasing promotion of e-cigarettes and other nicotine delivery systems, often marketed as safer alternatives to conventional tobacco products.
According to him, such products sustain nicotine dependence and recruit new users into a cycle of addiction while creating fresh public health concerns.
Speaking on the theme, “Unmasking the Appeal: Countering Nicotine and Tobacco Addiction,” Ezeh described it as timely and relevant to current public health realities.
He said the theme exposed the tactics employed by tobacco companies while drawing global attention to the urgent need to address nicotine addiction at its source.
The ACPN chairman said that nicotine remained the primary psychoactive substance responsible for tobacco dependence and addiction among millions of users worldwide.
He argued that in spite of existing tobacco control laws and regulatory frameworks in Nigeria, weak enforcement had continued to undermine efforts to reduce tobacco consumption.
“The continued prevalence of tobacco consumption demonstrates that our current interventions have not delivered the desired outcomes,” Ezeh said.
He added that government complacency in addressing the epidemic only benefited the tobacco industry while thousands of Nigerians continued to lose their lives annually.
The ACPN leader therefore urged policymakers to pursue more far-reaching scientific and regulatory measures capable of significantly reducing tobacco products’ addictive potential.
“A strong policy that eliminates nicotine from tobacco products or an outright ban on tobacco will permanently address many of these avoidable health hazards,” he said.
Ezeh emphasised that tobacco offered no proven therapeutic or medicinal benefit and remained directly linked to cancers, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory disorders and other chronic illnesses.
Beyond its health consequences, he described tobacco as a major economic burden, estimating that smoking-related diseases cost Nigeria about N634 billion annually.
According to him, the losses arise from healthcare expenditures and productivity reductions associated with tobacco-related illnesses and premature deaths across the country.
“This is a burden that Nigeria can no longer sustain. Every year, families are devastated, healthcare systems are stretched and economic productivity is undermined,” he said.
Ezeh called on the Federal Government to strengthen tobacco control policies, intensify enforcement of existing laws and implement reforms to protect future generations.
“As we commemorate World No Tobacco Day 2026, we must recommit ourselves to protecting public health, reducing preventable deaths and building a healthier, tobacco-free Nigeria,” he said.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Abiemwense Moru
