According to a report by The Independent on May 29th, British American Tobacco Nigeria is urging the government to implement sustainable plans to regulate non-smoke nicotine and tobacco products, with the goal of making Nigeria a smoke-free country.
The company has put forward four principles on regulating non-smoked tobacco and nicotine products, with the first proposal being consumer access to relevant products. Regulations should allow for the existence of a variety of smoke-free alternatives to ensure consumers can access these alternatives and make informed decisions about switching based on existing scientific evidence.
The company emphasized that these products are only intended for adult consumers, and that laws should prohibit minors from using and purchasing smokeless tobacco and nicotine products.
BAT also proposed that robust and strictly enforced quality and safety standards should become the core of regulation, while also calling for strict enforcement. Regulations should empower enforcement agencies with the necessary authority to impose penalties and sanctions on those who do not comply with regulations, especially those who provide products to minors or supply non-compliant products.
CEO of BAT West Africa and Central Africa, Yarub Al-Bahrani, stated:
Providing alternative products to reduce risk for adult smokers to make informed choices is crucial for countries and global public health who want to decrease smoking rates. Whether governments can utilize these products and maximize their harm reduction potential depends on implementing progressive, proportionate regulation and also on changes in consumer behavior.
There is a widespread misunderstanding regarding the risks of smokeless products compared to smoking. This has led many smokers who have not quit to be reluctant to switch to these smokeless products. The science is clear: the risks from well-managed smokeless tobacco and nicotine products are much lower than smoking. It is the harmful substances released from tobacco combustion that cause the harms associated with smoking.
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