Medical experts and Civil Society Organisations has revealed that graphic health warnings have helped people quit taking tobacco products.
According to them, this is an effective way to spread awareness about the risks associated with tobacco products, reduce consumption, and be helpful for those with limited literacy skills.
It has been observed that in Nigeria, while there are some graphic warnings on cigarettes, there are none for other tobacco products like shisha, snuff, and snus, among others.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation mandated the parties to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control to put in place policies on tobacco product packaging to provide health warnings describing the harmful effects of tobacco use.
While the 2024 yearly graphic warnings will begin in June 2024, experts and CSOs urge the FG to implement graphic health warnings on 60 per cent of display areas of tobacco products, including shisha and others.
Speaking with newsmen a public in Ibadan health consultant at the University of Ibadan, Francis Fagbule noted that labelling and graphic health warnings on tobacco products are meant to be according to the law.
“The law has stated clearly that we should not have text but pictures, and there have been pictures that have been designed to be placed as a form of reminder to people, especially those who consume these products. I noticed this started a few years ago but not all companies are doing that.
“The same is supposed to be for shisha and all other tobacco products. But as you may have also found out, compliance with this has been quite poor, which is why the enforcement agents and stakeholders must spring into action to ensure that the law is enforced, particularly on all the other tobacco products.
However, a former Chairman of the Association of Private Medical Practitioners of Nigeria, Dr Tunji Akintade in his submission said every consumable should be regularised under a strict administration law.