• WHO: Governments must shield young people from manipulative tendencies of tobacco firms • CAPPA welcomes NFVCB advocacy, wants ban on tobacco promotion extended to digital media • ‘Over five million young Nigerians at risk of addiction, cancer’ • ‘75% of global deaths occurring in developing countries’ As Nigeria joins the rest of the global community to mark World No Tobacco Day (WNTD), the World Health Organisation (WHO) has expressed its concerns over the harmful influences of the tobacco industry on youth, just as it says an estimated 75 per cent of global deaths from tobacco smoking is reported in developing countries. The WNTD is marked every May 31, and this year, WHO and public health champions from across the globe are coming together to advocate for an end to the targeting of youth with harmful tobacco products, while urging governments to adopt policies that shield young people from the manipulative practices of the tobacco and related industries. Though WHO acknowledges that cigarette smoking has decreased over the years due to phenomenal efforts by the tobacco control community, according to recent data, worldwide, at least 37 million young people aged 13–15 years use some form of tobacco.
Of the above figure, the Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has disclosed that about five million young Nigerians aged 15 to 25 out of over 20 million chain smokers are already addicted, endangering their overall health. To stem.
