By Valentine Amanze, Online Editor
The Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has appealed to the Nollywood stars and other celebrities to quit smoking because of its health hazards.
CAPPA Executive Director, Mr. Akinbode Oluwafemi, made the appeal, while addressing some Nollywood stars in Lagos at the weekend.
He explained that CAPPA’s engagement with the key entertainment stakeholders was because they were role models, influencers of the youths and relevant in ensuring Nigerian films were compliant with the WHO-FCTC and Nigeria’s National Tobacco Control Act and its Regulations.
In his speech titled, “Time to end Smoking in Nollywood!” the CAPPA boss lamented the effect of tobacco smoking in the society.
He disclosed that tobacco use was the leading cause of preventable death in the world and a risk factor for several non-communicable diseases including cancers, cardiovascular ailments, diabetes mellitus, and chronic respiratory sicknesses.
According to him, going by World Health Organisation’s (WHO) record, tobacco consumption kills six million people annually, and would likely kill eight million people by the year 2030 if nothing was done about it.
He pointed out that the tobacco industry uses many seemingly harmless channels to addict the youth, stressing that the WHO said that movies and entertainment materials were the most veritable tools for transfer of ideas and promotion of alternative lifestyles.
“The youth, generally impressionable, are enticed by what they see and are initiated into using tobacco products through advertising and subliminal promotion of smoking scenes in movies, music videos and product placement.
“The tobacco industry has a track record of giving misleading impression of tobacco use,” he said.
CAPPA therefore recommends:
- Adult Rating For Films With Smoking Scenes: The WHO says the most effective way of protecting children and adolescents from becoming addicted to tobacco is to give an adult rating to movies that contain smoking. One such intervention would be the assignment of an R rating to any movie with smoking or other tobacco-use imagery (unless the portrayal is of actual historical figures who smoked, a documentary, or if the portrayal includes the negative effects of tobacco use)
2. Strong Anti-Smoking Adverts: A requirement on strong anti-smoking advertisements shown before the start of films, TV or online programs containing tobacco products.
3. Anti-Smoking Health Warnings: Smoking scenes should be required to carry a rolling banner of text health warning.
4. Certify No Pay Offs: Certification that no payments have been received by studios or producers for depicting tobacco use in the movies and ending the onscreen depiction of actual tobacco brands.
5. Stopping Identification of Tobacco Brands; There should neither be tobacco brand identification or the presence of tobacco brand imagery (such as billboards, umbrellas, cars etc) in the background of any movie scene.
6.Total Ban on Tobacco Products Placement: The WHO-FCTC obligates Parties to implement comprehensive ban on tobacco advertising sponsorships and promotion.
