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One of the great public health victories of
recent times has been the battle against the cigarette industry,
forcing them to admit to the harmful and addictive properties of their
products. The health benefits of reducing access to cigarettes are now
irrefutable. Over the last few years, almost every Western country has
also banned smoking in public places, making significant measurable impact
on the health of their citizens. As a similar bill makes its way
through the Nigerian Senate the economic argument is being brought to
the fore. Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba has argued that “…we have to deal with the use of tobacco in such a regulated manner that it doesn’t create any economic distortion.”
In addition to any direct impact on tobacco farmers, reviewing the
economic case must include the costs of tobacco-related illnesses such
as lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other
illnesses, and evidence from other countries suggests that the harms far
outweigh the benefits.
