The House of Representatives said on
Wednesday that it would not place a ban on smoking of tobacco in the
country by law, but was seeking to regulate its production, packaging
and mode of promotion.
The clarification came from the Joint
House Committee on Health/Justice as it opened a public hearing on 11
health-related bills, including the tobacco smoking bill in Abuja.
The Lead Chairman of the committee and
Peoples Democratic Party lawmaker from Delta State, Mr. Ndudi Elumelu,
told stakeholders at the session that the clarification became necessary
because of speculation making the rounds that the House was about to
place a total ban on tobacco smoking.
Elumelu explained, “The major aim of this
bill is to provide a legal framework for the control of the production,
manufacture, sale, labeling, advertising, promotion, sponsorship, use
of tobacco products and exposure to tobacco smoke in order to promote
the health of the individual.”
The title of the bill is, “Bill for an
Act to Enact the Tobacco Smoking (Control) Bill to among other things
Provide for the Regulation of the Production, Importation, Advertising,
Promotion, Sponsorship, Distribution, Sale and Designation of Areas
where Tobacco Products may and may not be smoked and for Matters
Connected therewith, 2013.”
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