A report released by Lagos based anti-tobacco group, Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance, NTCA, has indicted British American Tobacco, Nigeria, BATN over its promotions of tobacco products in the country.
The report alleged that, “BATN has undertaken several promotions using methods that are attractive to the youths, including several international concerts featuring local and international artists.
“Other promotional strategies it adopted between 2001 and 2005 included; St. Moritz fashion and Style, Wild and Wet, Loud in Lagos, Experience IT, Buy One Get One Free Campaign, Experience Freshness and a host of others.”
Presenting the report before journalists in Lagos, the interim national coordinator of NTCA, Lanre Oginni said, “The goal of the report is to monitor and report on tobacco industry’s so-called Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR and other activities aimed at thwarting legislative efforts towards passage of the Nigeria Tobacco Control Bill.”
He said that since 2001, BATN has tried to influence tobacco control policies in Nigeria, “The investigation by NTCA has revealed that many government agencies which may play a part in the implementation of the tobacco bill are still hobnobbing with the tobacco industry. The tobacco industry has exploited its CSR to weaken government’s resolve of effective tobacco legislation,” he said.
The report noted that BATN’s promotions have encouraged tobacco consumption and addiction in the country, especially among the youths and encouraged recruitment of replacement smokers through advertisements.The report was an outcome of an NTCA’s monitoring activities carried out in Abuja, Lagos and Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.
It sought to get a better understanding of the tobacco industry’s presence, operations and tactics in Nigeria, identify its forces, including entities and allies and take inventory of the products on the market by each company.
It also sought to determine the range and target of industry activities and tactics and take inventory of tobacco control policies and their strengths and weaknesses.
The report noted that, “Though there exists an Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria, APCON’s directive in 2004 prohibiting any form of tobacco advertising on billboards, print and electronic media, BATN has employed indirect advertising as a tactic for reaching the youths with its products.
“Subtle advertising of tobacco products is carried out in brand colours and logos displayed on shopping bags, umbrellas, face caps, school bags, shirts, key holders, and even cigarette lighters.”
The group explained that, “In the course of the tobacco industry monitoring activity, NTCA observed that BATN has extended its subtle adverts to places frequented by guests of all shades. For instance many hotels in Lagos, Ilorin, and Abuja now display ‘no smoking signs’ with bold logos of BATN and its colours.
“Some of the hotels where these were found include Princess Suites and Tourism Limited, Ilorin, Excellence Hotels in Lagos, Gracepoint Hotel in Abuja, among others. Several bars and drinking spots in Lagos also have Refuse Bins in BATN Benson & Hedges colours.”
Oginni therefore advocated the passage of the National Tobacco Control Bill as the way to go, for effective tobacco legislation in Nigeria.
He said Nigeria will not make any appreciable progress towards the eradication of the tobacco control epidemic and reduction of addiction without the signing into law, the Tobacco Control Bill.
“NTCA therefore appeals to the National Assembly to expedite action on the repackaged bill which the Federal Executive Council has transmitted to it for consideration and passage,” he said.
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