The Rivers State Government has announced plans to tighten tobacco control regulations in response to growing concerns over rising youth vaping and nicotine use in the state.
Health officials and anti-tobacco advocates in Rivers warned that sweet-flavoured e-cigarettes, disposable vapes, and other emerging nicotine products are increasingly targeting teenagers and young adults, exploiting policy gaps and weak enforcement. They noted that the situation mirrors national findings showing that tobacco companies are pushing electronic cigarettes, vapes, and similar products at Nigerian youths.
Youth-focused groups have called for stricter laws and implementation to protect children from nicotine addiction, urging government to urgently restrict the sale of e-cigarettes, vapes, and flavoured tobacco products to minors. They are also demanding tougher penalties for vendors who sell such products to underage users and tighter regulation of marketing and distribution channels.
Public health experts cited global and local evidence showing that youth vaping has risen sharply in recent years and is not risk-free, with nicotine exposure affecting brain areas responsible for learning, memory, and attention, particularly in adolescents. Studies have also found that young people who vape are significantly more likely to later smoke cigarettes or use other substances, reinforcing calls for preventative regulation.
Marking World No Tobacco Day 2026, the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) in Rivers State launched a campaign themed “Protecting Our Children,” stressing that “our children are the target” of the new nicotine market and urging authorities to act decisively.
Policy advocates have recommended that states like Rivers fully enforce age limits on tobacco and vape sales, ban flavoured and disposable vapes aimed at youth, and close legal loopholes that allow aggressive marketing of nicotine products. They argue that without stronger state-level action and sustained funding for tobacco control, Nigeria risks a worsening youth nicotine crisis.
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Students, others feared dead as 3-storey hostel collapses in Anambra
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