By Paul Ashibel
Collaborating with the Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance, members of the University of Abuja Tobacco-Free Club, held an anti-tobacco rally on Saturday, July 29, 2023, at the University of Abuja main campus. The students sensitized their peers on the health hazards associated with smoking, while stressing that shisha and vapes marketed by the Tobacco Industry as ‘safe alternatives’ were in fact unsafe and harmful.
Nigeria has one of the largest youth populations in the world, and it is estimated that 60 percent of Nigeria’s population is below 25 years. This teeming youth population has become a target for the Tobacco Industry.
One of the ways the Tobacco Industry targets young Nigerians is through its Battle of Minds challenge. Tobacco control advocates have long pointed that the so called ‘corporate social responsibility’ which is designed for university students is a marketing technique set up to endear the industry and its products to young people.
Health-conscious young people, such as the University of Abuja Tobacco-Free Club, who understand the health dangers of tobacco use are organizing themselves to encourage their peers to shun tobacco use for healthy living.
The students also used the opportunity to call for a smoke-free campus.
