Concerned parents and youth-focused anti-tobacco advocates have urged the Federal Government to take urgent action against the alarming rise in e-cigarette and flavoured vape use among teenagers in Nigeria.
Voices for Tobacco Control, an advocacy group, is calling for immediate restrictions on the sale of e-cigarettes, vapes, and flavoured tobacco products to minors.
They are also demanding that relevant government agencies regulate the marketing and distribution of these products and enforce stricter penalties for those who sell them to underage users.
The parents and advocates stressed that immediate government intervention is crucial following an earlier investigation that exposed how easily underage youths access tobacco products despite legal restrictions limiting sales to those aged 18 and above.
They warned that the growing addiction to tobacco, now attractively packaged in sweet, flavoured varieties, poses a serious threat not only to the health of young individuals but also to Nigeria’s long-term socioeconomic growth and development.
Speaking at a hybrid press briefing yesterday on behalf of Voices for Tobacco Control, Kenneth Kenas Anetor, said in response to the growing concerns, over 300 Nigerians have signed a petition titled: ‘Keep Vapes Away from Nigerian Kids’ to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC).
Explaining that the petition is part of the World No Tobacco Day 2025 campaign, Anetor said the effort aims to spotlight the health risks associated with vapes and flavoured tobacco products while urging for stronger laws to shield Nigerian children from exposure.
The campaign, he said is raising serious alarm over the increasing availability and use of vapes, e-cigarettes, shisha, and similar products among Nigerian youth.
According to Anetor, members of Voices for Tobacco Control, a community of concerned Nigerian tobacco control advocates, felt compelled to take action in response to the rising popularity of e-cigarettes, particularly among Nigerian children.
He said: “Flavoured nicotine products, brightly packaged and sold in flavours like strawberry, mint and mango, are being marketed to appeal to the youth.
“Despite their sweet flavours and sleek designs, vapes and heated tobacco products are not safe.
“Studies have shown they expose users to harmful chemicals like nicotine and formaldehyde, increasing the risks of lung and heart disease.
“The growing availability of e-cigarettes and flavoured tobacco products, in addition to traditional cigarettes, has sparked concern among parents.
“Research indicates that 5 million Nigerian youth are addicted to smoking, with 25,000 youth smoking each day, including children as young as 10 to 14 years old.”
Speaking during the briefing, President of the Federation of Muslim Women’s Associations in Nigeria (FOMWAN), Kwara State Chapter, Nimat Labaika, stressed the need for urgent action against the scourge, saying: “Tobacco companies want to remain in business and they are doing everything to remain in business, including selling tobacco products to children.
“For us not to lose our future leaders, we have to collectively lend our voices and call on FCCPC to introduce guidelines to stop the sale to children.”
On her part, Mrs. Founder of Bundies Care Initiative, Fumi Oseigbu, emphasized that the FCCPC must be held accountable.
“I believe that the FCCPC should be sanctioned to do their jobs to protect our children and enforce regulations against tobacco companies.
“We need them to not just draft policies but also enforce them. We can’t afford to let our children fall prey to addiction while regulatory agencies sit on their hands,” she stressed.
The advocates also lamented the absence of comprehensive legislation in Nigeria regulating the sale and marketing of e-cigarettes and flavoured tobacco.
Without urgent action, the public health crisis among young people is set to deepen, they said.
As a matter concerning the protection of children and consumer protection, advocates called for the FCCPC to issue clear guidelines that can inform regulations restricting vape and e-cigarette sales to minors, or else, be sanctioned for not doing its job.
In addition to the FCCPC, the advocates called for the involvement of several other key government bodies, including the Federal and State Ministries of Health, the National Environmental Protection Board, and the National Assembly.
The institutions, they said, must play a coordinated role in establishing smoke-free public spaces, regulating tobacco sales, and passing laws with measurable impact.
“It’s not just one agency’s job, it’s a national responsibility but FCCPC must lead the charge when it comes to consumer protection,” they said.
The advocates emphasized that the nation has the capacity to overcome the tobacco crisis if existing laws and policies are fully and firmly enforced, stating that doing so would protect future generations from preventable and unnecessary harm.
The Nation
