Bauchi State Moves to Adopt Tobacco Control Law

The Bauchi State Government has begun steps to adapt the National Tobacco Control Act to state law, working with the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, to curb tobacco use and lessen its health and environmental impacts.

The initiative was announced at a one‑day technical meeting of stakeholders focused on developing the Bauchi State Tobacco Control Framework. Attendees from ministries, departments, and agencies discussed the necessity of a state law to regulate tobacco products.

At the Friday event, Auwal Ibrahim Musa, Executive Director of CISLAC and known as Rafsanjani, urged the state government to establish a legal framework that would limit unrestricted access to tobacco.

“Bauchi State should take proactive steps by domesticating the National Tobacco Control Act. A strong legal framework will help regulate the sale and use of tobacco products and ultimately protect public health.”

CISLAC technical officer Solomon Adogum presented a paper on tobacco control, citing World Health Organization data that show tobacco use remains widespread in Nigeria even as awareness of its dangers grows.

“More than 25,000 children between the ages of 10 and 14, alongside about 7.49 million adults aged 15 years and above, use tobacco daily in Nigeria. Over 7.08 million men and 402,600 women smoke cigarettes every day, while about 1.97 million people use smokeless tobacco. The country also records 28,876 tobacco‑related deaths annually.”

Adogum described tobacco as a leading cause of preventable deaths worldwide and warned that it is a major risk factor for non‑communicable diseases.

“More than 85 per cent of lung cancer cases are linked to tobacco use. It is also associated with chronic respiratory diseases, heart attacks, stroke, and cancers affecting the mouth, throat, oesophagus, pancreas and bladder.”

He also noted that secondhand smoke poses equal danger.

“Exposure to secondhand smoke is responsible for about 1.2 million premature deaths worldwide every year. It also increases the risk of sudden infant death syndrome, respiratory infections and asthma among children,” he said.

Commissioner for Housing and Environment Danlami Kawule, represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary Alhaji Yamai Muhammad, assured participants of the state government’s commitment to the initiative.

“The Bala Mohammed administration remains committed to protecting both the environment and the health of citizens. We will support every necessary step towards the domestication of the tobacco control legislation in Bauchi State.”

DAILYPOST reports that participants, including officials from multiple ministries and agencies, were briefed on the public‑health, environmental, and economic impacts of tobacco use, and experts called for stricter regulations on the sale and consumption of tobacco products.