Youth Group Urges Lagos On Smoke-Free Public for Cleaner Environment

A youth advocacy group known as Protecting and Activating Communities against Tobacco (PACT) Lagos Hub, has called on Lagos State Government to take urgent steps to enforce public smoke-free for a cleaner environment.

Speaking at the event in Lagos recently, the leader of the Lagos PACT Youth Hub, George Adjete said, “We believe that all Nigerians have a right to breathe clean air.”

He further explained that second-hand smoke contains over 70 chemicals that are harmful to health and cause cancer, asthma, and other diseases.

He said that was why they are calling on the government of Lagos state under Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu to urgently consider the creation and enforcement of smoke-free public spaces in Lagos.

In line with their ‘Clean Air Naija’ Campaign, Adjete noted that they have written a letter to the governor to draw his attention to the 30,000 Nigerian lives lost annually to smoking.

According to him, “The National Tobacco Act of 2015 and the National Tobacco Control Regulations of 2019 prohibit tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship, prohibit the sale of tobacco to minors and restrict smoking to designated smoking areas. In recent times, new tobacco products like shisha and vapes have been attracting younger smokers. Clean Air Naija is a campaign calling on the Lagos State Government to make good on its promise to enact smoke-free public spaces across the state.”

“27 million Nigerian children are exposed to second-hand smoke. We have organized this event to let the government know that they need to do something about this situation, and they can count on the support of the youth of Lagos state. Nigeria is a party to the International Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).”

A participant at the programme, Aiyedun Christianah and a student of the Lagos State University, said tobacco kills nearly 30,000 Nigerians every year and puts many more at risk of cancer.

“I am glad to be part of this campaign because by asking the government to create and enforce more smoke-free public spaces, we are taking steps to protect Nigerians from preventable deadly diseases.”