Entertainment and Media Stakeholders have called for the immediate commencement of enforcement of the ban on Tobacco Advertising Promotion and Sponsorships as contained in the National Tobacco Control Act 2015 and the National Tobacco Control Regulations 2019 that pertain to smoking in movies and entertainment sectors.
The stakeholders made the call during a one-day Stakeholders’ Summit on Smoking in Nigerian Movies (#Smokefreenollywood) which was convened by the Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA).
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Participants at the stakeholders session had noted that, “tobacco remains the number one preventable risk factor for Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs)” and despite “six years after the passage of the NTC Act and two years after passage of the Tobacco ControlNTC Regulations, enforcement of the laws have been very slow.
They also noted that, “the delay in the enforcement of sections of the NTC Act and the NTC Regulations, especially the provision banning Tobacco, Advertising, Promotion and Sponsorships (TAPS) has emboldened the tobacco industry to addict more kids through movies and entertainment sector.”
The stakeholders in a communique issued at the end of the summit and signed by CAPPA’s Executive Director,, Akinbode Oluwafemi recommended that, to achieve #smokefreenollywood, there should be, “a working group of practitioners working collaboratively with the regulatory agencies to come up with a Code of Practice for practitioners in the media and entertainment space as regards smoking in movies.
“Increased awareness creation on the NTC Act and the TC Regulations by the National Orientation Agency and other relevant agencies with specific focus on the TAPS menace in movies and music videos. Also, sensitization visits to the regulatory and enforcement agencies
“Regular interface by practitioners and regulators in the relevant agencies to achieve smoke-free media and entertainment sector; Adequate monitoring of spaces that kids interface including cartoons for tobacco industry activities; and Establish Tobacco Control Desk in all the enforcement agencies for enforcement exercises at national and state levels.”
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Participants were drawn from the Federal Ministry of Health, the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), National Orientation Agency (NOA), Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), the Nigeria Police, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), among others. The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK), Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance (NTCA) and Gatefield Limited were also in attendance.
Practitioners in attendance included members of the Association of Nigeria Theatre Arts Practitioners (ANTP), the Golden Movies Ambassador, Directors Guild of Nigeria, Motion Picture Practitioners’ Association of Nigeria (MOPPAN), and the Kannywood Women Association of Nigeria (K-WAN), among others.