The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) Nigeria has advocated high taxes on tobacco companies to help in reducing its usage by the public.
A senior programme officer of the organization, Solomon Adoga, made the call during a stakeholders’ engagement for Civil Society Organisations on tobacco control in Gombe State convened by CISLAC.
He said if high taxes are placed by the government on tobacco companies, production would reduce and prices would be higher, thereby affecting drastically the affordability and smoking by the public.
According to him, although smoking cigarettes is socially acceptable in the society, it poses serious threat to public health, adding that with high taxes, many people will not be able to purchase and use the products.
“Some of the strategies to control tobacco use include; monitoring tobacco use prevention policies, protecting people from tobacco smoking, offering help to quit tobacco use, warning about the dangers of tobacco, enforcing…
Source: Leadership Newspaper
