Date Published: 08/12/10
ERA exposes Bat Smoking Deal
The decision of British America Tobacco Nigeria (BATN) to carry on with
secret smoking parties where underage persons are conscripted into smoking
is not only offensive but a strategy of getting more girls to take to the
smoking habit, foremost environmental rights advocacy group, Environmental
Rights Action (ERA) has said.
ERA, in reaction to a smoking party organised by BAT as part of its
Bursting with Flavour promotion of the Pall Mall brand in Lagos, said the
event was ‘a shameless disregard for public health and lack of respect
to the laws of the country.
In the last two years BAT has staged the smoking parties in Sokoto, Kano,
Ilorin, Akure, Abeokuta, Ibadan and other parts of the country. The latest
party held last Saturday August 7, 2010 at the Abayomi Awodiora Hall on
Cardoso Street in Ajegunle area of Lagos.
In a statement wired from Lagos, to our correspondent ERA described the
event as a criminal and clandestine act by BATN, describing the company as
a corporation bent on ruining the lives of young Nigerians who are the
major targets of the secret smoking parties.
“It is incredible that even with the growing number of Nigerians dying
from tobacco-related illnesses and confirmed studies that tobacco use
worsens poverty, the only fitting contribution of BAT to Ajegunle is a
product that will gradually kill off its army of youths”, said ERA/FoEN
Director, Corporate Accountability Campaigns, Akinbode Oluwafemi.
Oluwafemi added that it was extremely disappointing that Terry G, a
notable hip-hop artist and supposed youth role model who should be an
ambassador of change in Ajegunle performed live at the event which started
10 p.m and ended 4 am on the following morning.
The ERA team that conducted the investigation confirmed that not only was
there a secrecy around the distribution of the invitation cards, but also
that there was tight security at the entrance of the hall with
stern-looking security personnel frisking invitees to ensure nobody went
in with a camera or any gadget that could document findings. No invitee
was asked his/her age.
Inside the hall, skimpily-dressed girls were assigned the roles of
welcoming youngsters who were christened ‘consumers’. The girls offer
the consumers the Pall Mall brand of cigarette and immediately light it
up. It was also observed that while the party was on with heavy plume of
smoke from cigarette, officials of BAT were at the upper floor of hall
cautiously observing the activities below.
Reiterating ERA opposition to the event, Oluwafemi said “We will not
take this henceforth. We will mobilise youths to storm and disrupt any
other attempt to enlist our youths into smoking.”
“We hope the National Assembly is taking note of this other
objectionable activity of BATN. It is now time for our lawmakers to
expedite action on the National Tobacco Control Bill which will compel
tobacco companies in Nigeria to halt their double standards of operation.
We will not accept this any longer”. |