How sale of cigarettes in packs will reduce smoking in public places
The World Health Organisation said it has prohibited the sale of cigarettes in single sticks but a new report by the African Tobacco Control Alliance (ATCA) has accused tobacco companies of flouting the regulation.
The report, released in Cape Town on Tuesday, identified the British American Tobacco (BAT), Philip Morris International (PMI), and Imperial Brands as the main perpetrators of the practice in 10 African countries surveyed.
The affected countries include Nigeria, Togo, Uganda, Niger, Kenya, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Chad, Cameroun, and Burkina Faso.
Findings by Newsroom Daily reveals that a packet of cigarettes in Nigeria sells between N200-N300 while a stick goes for N10-N20 respectively.
Below are some of the reasons why ban on sale of cigarettes in single sticks in Nigeria will reduce smoking drastically in public places:
The sale of cigarettes in single sticks makes it easy for young people to experiment the product and eventually become regular users.
Availability:
Single sticks are made available for purchase when retailers intentionally open a full pack of cigarettes to sell individual sticks.
Last year, the Nigerian government introduced nine regulations including a ban on the sale of cigarettes in single sticks, as part of moves to implement the National Tobacco Control.
The regulations, however, have continued to await the approval of the parliament.
Tobacco firms have been accused of scheming new strategies that deliberately targets the younger generation by situating their products near primary and secondary schools.
