Lagos’ smoking ban seen as balanced

A law banning tobacco smoking within enclosed public places in the Nigerian state of Lagos has been commended by British American Tobacco Nigeria.

The law, which was passed by the Lagos State House Assembly in January and signed by the state governor on Monday, prohibits tobacco smoking in public places such as libraries, museum, public toilets, schools, hospitals, day-care centres, public transportation and restaurants.

But the law requires that the owners of such public places provide smoking areas, though presumably this requirement does not extend to at least some forms of transport.

BAT’s director of corporate and regulatory affairs in West Africa, Freddy Messanvi, said the state government had provided a good example of how to create a balanced and effective law.

According to Messanvi, the process leading to the signing of the bill into law was a transparent one that gave consideration to all relevant views.

He described the new law as “neither excessive nor discriminatory”.