September 2021
Smoking in Nollywood and the Next Generation of Nigerian Youths
What seemed like an insignificant issue in 2007, when tobacco control activists screened 10 randomly-selected movies and found out that the tobacco industry has been using Nollywood to promote tobacco, smoking has grown into a mega monster. A new research carried out by Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa, CAPPA, in 2020 shows how Igbo,...
One in five cigarettes in Ghana is illicit – KNUST researcher
A research conducted by Dr Arti Singh, a Faculty Member, School of Public Health, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), has revealed that one in every five cigarettes is illicit in Ghana. The research findings from the illicit tobacco trade study under the Tobacco Control Capacity Programme (TCCP), indicated that in Ghana, sale...
Seven years after passing public smoking law, Lagos struggles with enforcement
A research found that the Nigerian health system spends over N500 billion yearly to treat illnesses caused by smoking and passive smoking. Sam (surname withheld), a second-year National Diploma student at the Yaba College of Technology in Lagos, says he stopped reading in the school due to exposure to indiscriminate smoking. The 21-year-old has never seen a ‘No-smoking’...
Malaysia: Higher tobacco taxes can benefit health, economy
According to the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2019, 21.3 per cent of adults aged 15 and above, or 4.88 million Malaysians, are smokers, with a higher percentage of male smokers. Malaysia has spent about RM15 billion (1.7 per cent of 2012's gross domestic product) on tobacco-related healthcare costs. Despite the evidence of significant potential...
Cigarette sales ban to have big tax hit on South Africa
British American Tobacco sees South Africa failing to meet tobacco excise revenue targets after a lengthy ban on the sale of the products swelled illegal sales. The country will probably generate R11.5 billion ($791 million) in duties from cigarettes and related products in the year through March 2022, the company’s East & Southern Africa unit...
New Mexico lawmakers eye tobacco tax hike to curb use
As part of an effort to curb tobacco use in New Mexico, especially among high school students who are increasingly using e-cigarettes, several lawmakers expressed support Thursday for increasing taxes on all tobacco products. The push to raise the price on cigarettes and other tobacco products came after representatives from the American Heart Association and...
FDA facing demands to snuff out Juul’s e-cigarettes
Health groups, Democratic lawmakers press the agency to reject the products, but others say flavored vapes may help adult smokers quit. Juul Labs launched its flavored e-cigarettes in 2015 in a flashy campaign called “Vaporized” that featured young models puffing away with gusto. Six years later, the once high-flying company is scrambling to avoid being...
Driving Addiction: Tobacco Sponsorship in Formula One
When will F1 catch up to other sports and ban tobacco sponsorship? In 2021, the tobacco industry is projected to spend an estimated $105 million on Formula 1 sponsorship. The staggering amount confirms a concerning trend: Tobacco industry spending in F1 has increased, reaching its highest levels since 2006—the year tobacco companies were supposed to be...
