Section 1: Objectives

The objectives of this Act are to-
(a)
protect present and future generations of Nigerians and residents of Nigeria from the devastating health, social, economic, and environmental consequences of use of or exposure to tobacco or tobacco products and exposure to tobacco or tobacco product smoke;
(b)
give effect to the obligations to protect citizens against tobacco or tobacco product-related harms in the promotion of health and other human rights that Nigeria as a party to the World Health Organisation (WHO) framework Convention for Tobacco Control and other related treaties to which Nigeria is a party has agreed to undertake, including the-
(i) Convention on the Rights of the Child,
(ii) International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights,
(iii) lnternational Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,
(iv) Convention on the Elimination ofall forms of Discrimination against Women,
(v) African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights,
(vi) other relevant regional and international treaties,
(vii) Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and
(viii) all other applicable legislations ;
(c)
promote and protect Nigerians and residents' rights to health, life, physical integrity, safe and healthy workplaces, and other rights adversely impacted by tobacco or tobacco product smoke exposure;
(d)
provide equal protection for all workers in the tobacco or tobacco product industry, regardless of where they work, and all population groups;
(e)
discourage smoking initiation, encourage stoppage of tobacco or tobacco product smoking and reduce tobacco or tobacco product consumption through the measures provided in this Act, including through behavior and norm changes brought about by smoke-free environments;
(f)
inform consumers of the health consequences, addictive nature, and mortal threat posed by tobacco or tobacco product consumption and exposure to tobacco or tobacco product smoke ;
(g)
build up and make knowledge available to consumers and the populace at large on the harmful effects, risk and specific harm of tobacco or tobacco product use and exposure to tobacco or tobacco product smoke;
(h)
discourage tobacco or tobacco product use and encourage cessation among users, including through product packaging and labeling;
(i)
prevent or substantially reduce the accessibility of tobacco or tobacco products to young people;
(j)
ensure tobacco or tobacco products are not designed in a way that makes them more addictive or attractive, especially to persons who are below 18 years of age, or in ways that may undercut any of the stated objectives of this Act;
(k)
ensure that any designated regulatory authority is adequately empowered to regulate tobacco or tobacco products and their testing and to require the disclosure of information about tobacco or tobacco products to the government in order to effectively exercise regulatory powers;
(l)
ensure tobacco or tobacco products, their packaging and labeling do not mislead consumers, promote tobacco or tobacco product use or use of the product, or undermine health warning requirements; and
(m)
fulfill the State's obligation under Article 5.3 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control aimed at ensuring that tobacco or tobacco product control policies are implemented over and above any contrary interest of commercial and other vested interests of the tobacco industry on account of the inherent and irreconcilable conflict of interests between the goals of public health policies for tobacco or tobacco product control and the interests of the tobacco or tobacco product industry, arising from the deadly nature of tobacco or tobacco products.