By Suzan Edeh, Bauchi
The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Center(CISLAC) has strongly advocated for smoke free policies in the county that will protect citizens from Second Hand smoke exposure at indoor workplaces, public places, including bars, restaurants and public transportation.
It said that the smoke free policies should focus on measures such as increasing tobacco taxes, extending advertising ban to new Media, banning smoking in public places and pushing for stricter enforcement of the National Tobacco Control Act.
The organization made the call at a one day Training on implementing smoke-free policies, which held at the Whitehill Hotel and Suites in Bauchi.
Speaking in a welcome remark, the Executive Director CISLAC, Auwal Ibrahim Musa stated that the objective of the training was to advocate for policies that will benefit citizens in the state and county at large, particularly policies that improve the health of citizens and reduce occurrence of diseases due to the smoking of tobacco.
Represented by the Senior Finance and Program officer, Murtala Muhammad, the Executive Director charged participants at the training to be the voice of the voiceless in society by sensitizing the public on the dangers of smoking tobacco.
He said that CISLAC is a researched and Evidence Based Advocacy organization and not a humanitarian organization whose thematic areas focuses on democratic governance, health, Advocacy, peace, security and Anti-corruption.
In his presentation on the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, the CISLAC Senior Programme Officer Democratic Governance, Mr Solomon Adoga stated that the duty to protect citizens from tobacco smoke is grounded in the fundamental human right and freedom,. stressing that protecting individuals from tobacco smoke corresponds to an obligation by governments to enact legislations to protect individuals against threats to their fundamental rights and freedoms.
He said that Civil Society Organizations has a clear role in building support for and ensuring compliance with smoke free measures and should be included as an active partner in the process of developing, implementing and enforcing legislations.
According to him, effective legislation should impose legal responsibilities for compliance on both affected business establishment and individual smokers and should provide penalties for violators which should apply for businesses and possibly, smokers.
In regards to smoke-free policy
implementation, Mr Adoga said that globally, as at 2010, 174 nations had signed the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, adding that 87 parties had implemented a policy to protect citizens from Second Hand smoke exposure in indoor work places, 55 countries had national comprehensive smoke-free laws while 28 countries has laws that cover 100 percent of all bars, restaurants and non-hospitality work places.