Five Million People Die Yearly From Tobacco Consumption

President of the Association of General and Private Medical Practitioners of Nigeria (AGPMPN), Dr. Frank Omo-Ehijele Odafen, said over five million people die worldwide as a result of tobacco intake.

He disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja at a press conference organized in commemoration of the Family Doctors' Day while quoting a World Health Organization (WHO) report.

This year's theme was tagged: "Smoking Cessation and the Family."

The association urged the federal government to put some wholesome laws in place which is expected to protect non- smokers in order to stem the tide which has killed approximately half of long- term smokers when compared to age mortality rates faced by non-smokers.

"Government should institute high taxation on tobacco products. It should equally ban smoking in public places and transport systems. The National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC), should run advertorial on TV and radio to discourage smoking, government should disallow all commercials advertising or promoting smoking in the media - print and electronic and endeavour to provide social rehabilitation centers for those willing to give up smoking," he said.

He called on government to legislate that every family should have a family doctor, while urging family doctors in Nigeria to rededicate themselves to the service of the family and society.