Following a news article on the Vanguard website where Dr. Damilola Olajide a health economist in the U.K. and a Senior Fellow in the Initiative for Public Policy Analysis had said during a breakfast show in Lagos that the banning of smoking entirely will lead to the loss of jobs for many as the industry is the 6th highest employer of Labor in the world. She suggested that instead, the companies should encourage ‘responsible smoking’.
Rising above the ruckus raised by religious leaders and their teeming league of supporters, we should read the first paragraph again and take a pause: is it really sensible to totally ban smoking?
Tobacco consumption, needless to say, has for a long time been identified as a leading killer as it causes cancer of internal organs both to smokers and non-smokers who inhale second hand smoke. But with the crumbling of our country’s economic situation it will be clear insanity to push for a total ban on tobacco smoking, because many will go out of business and raise the bar of unemployment to unbelievable heights.
Even considering the heavy taxes that the ERA is pressurizing the Government to place on tobacco production will strangle a much needed endangered business industry that will put the economy of non-smokers too at risk.
Curbing smoking will be the most sensible of steps because if the total ban on tobacco use is achieved like was achieved on marijuana will the next step be on alcoholic beverages?
12 thoughts on “Should Smoking Be Banned?”