Flash Mob in Nigeria Draws Attention to Fight Against Tobacco
September 05, 2013
Tobacco control campaigners in Nigeria are using innovative methods to get their message across. Last week, Nigerian advocates organized a flash mob in one of Nigeria’s busiest markets to launch a new social media campaign. The surprise performance – organized by Tobacco Control Nigeria – kicked off five days of events to raise awareness and mobilize public support for the passage of a comprehensive tobacco control law.
In June, Nigeria’s first-ever study on adult tobacco use confirmed that because of relatively low rates of tobacco use, the time is now to enact strong laws that can head off a devastating tobacco epidemic. A previous tobacco control bill was abandoned last year when it failed to receive Presidential assent. Using both traditional and innovative tactics, Nigerian health advocates are calling on government to protect public health and enact strong tobacco control laws.
Nigeria ratified the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) in 2005. Under the treaty, the country is obligated to implement proven methods to reduce tobacco use, the world’s leading cause of preventable death.