The attention of the Federal Government has been drawn to the continuous illegal circulation of Tobacco Products in Nigerian Markets without approved graphic health warning .

This discovery is the outcome of a research conducted by the Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance NTCA across Nigerian states and the FCT on the level of compliance to the second phase of graphic health warnings approved by the federal ministry of health and social welfare for all tobacco products.

While Addressing Journalists in Abuja, the group frowned at the level of non compliance of the Tobacco Industry to the current graphic health warning which depicts that “Tobacco Causes Mouth Cancer”.

They therefore called on all relevant government regulatory and enforcement agencies to take appropriate disciplinary action on defaulters for undermining this provision of the National Tobacco control act 2015 and its regulations 2019.

Article 11 of the World Health Organisation’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control recommends that Parties to the Convention should ensure that Product Packaging and Labelling carry Pictorial and Text warnings which clearly describe the health dangers associated with Tobacco use.

Available body of evidence have shown that graphic health warnings on tobacco packs encourage smokers to quit while discouraging tobacco uptake.

(Editor: Nkoli Omhoudu)