The Association of General and Private Medical Practitioners of Nigeria on Wednesday called on the Federal Government to ban all commercial advertisements which promote smoking because “tobacco consumption cases erectile dysfunction.”
The association which demanded enforcement of the ban on smoking in public places and transport systems, also quoted the report of the World Health Organisation, which state that while over one billion people globally smoke tobacco, over five million people die worldwide annually as a result of its consumption.
President of AGPMPN, Dr. Frank Odafen, stated these during a press briefing in commemoration of this year’s Family Doctors’ Day, scheduled for Thursday with the theme: ‘Smoking cessation and the family’.
Among the diseases associated with smoking include lung cancer, heart diseases such as heart attacks, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, erectile dysfunction and birth defects.
Odafen said, “It has been estimated that over one billion people globally practice tobacco smoking. Diseases associated with smoking have been shown to kill approximately half of long term when compared with average mortality rates faced by non-smokers. The WHO report states that five million people worldwide die as a result of smoking.
“Some of the deadly hazards associated with smoking include erectile dysfunction, lung cancer, heart diseases, including heart attacks, chronic pulmonary diseases and birth defects.”
To check the trend which, Odafen called on the government to put some wholesome laws in place which are expected to protect non-smokers.
The AGPMPN said, “All government at all levels should ban smoking in public places/transport systems. The government should institute high taxation on tobacco products, while the National Broadcasting Corporation should run advertorials on TV/Radio to discourage smoking.
“The government should disallow all commercials advertising or promoting smoking in the media print and electronic and government should provide social rehabilitation centres for those willing to give up smoking.”
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