Tobacco harms the health, the treasury, and the spirit of Nigeria. Every year more than 17500 of it’s people are killed by tobacco-caused disease, while more than 370000 children and more than 4303000 adults continue to use tobacco each day. Complacency in the face of the tobacco epidemic will ensure the tobacco industry continues to run roughshod over the lives of Nigeria’s citizens and ensure that tobacco’s death toll will grow with each passing year. Tobacco control advocates must reach out to other communities to strengthen their efforts in this mortal fight.

Find out how smoking and use of other tobacco products affects your health, what’s in a cigarette, how tobacco use and the tobacco industry impact specific populations, and how to keep kids from starting.

Deaths % caused by tobacco: 2010

1.3%of Men

Even though fewer men die on average in Nigeria than other middle-income countries, still 207 men are being killed by tobacco every week, necessitating action from policymakers.

0.9% of Women

Even though fewer women die on average in Nigeria than other middle-income countries, still 130 women are being killed by tobacco every week, necessitating action from policymakers.

Health Effects

Smoking and use of tobacco products, including cigars and smokeless tobacco, cause or worsen numerous diseases and conditions. See how smoking and using tobacco impacts your health.

Smoking and the use of other tobacco products, including cigars and smokeless tobacco, causes or worsens numerous diseases and conditions. Some products also expose nearby people to toxic secondhand smoke.

Find out more on the health effects of smoking, secondhand smoke, other tobacco products and marijuana.

• Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in Nigeria, causing over 438,000 deaths per year.
• Secondhand smoke is a serious health hazard for people of all ages, causing more than 41,000 deaths each year.
• Marijuana smoke contains many of the same toxins, irritants and carcinogens as tobacco smoke.
• Electronic cigarettes are a new tobacco product, and the potential health consequences and safety of these products are unknown.
• Smokeless Tobacco products are a known cause of cancer, and are not a safe alternative to cigarettes.
• Cigars have many of the same health risks as cigarettes, including causing certain cancers.

What’s In a Cigarette?

Arsenic, lead, tar— these are just few of more than 7,000 chemicals in tobacco smoke.

There are approximately 600 ingredients in cigarettes. When burned, they create more than 7,000 chemicals. At least 69 of these chemicals are known to cause cancer, and many are poisonous.

Many of these chemicals also are found in consumer products, but these products have warning labels. While the public is warned about the danger of the poisons in these products, there is no such warning for the toxins in tobacco smoke.

Here are a few of the chemicals in tobacco smoke and other places they are found:

• Acetone – found in nail polish remover
• Acetic Acid –  an ingredient in hair dye
• Ammonia – a common household cleaner
• Arsenic – used in rat poison
• Benzene – found in rubber cement
• Butane – used in lighter fluid
• Cadmium – active component in battery acid
• Carbon Monoxide – released in car exhaust fumes
• Formaldehyde – embalming fluid
• Hexamine – found in barbecue lighter fluid
• Lead – used in batteries
• Naphthalene – an ingredient in mothballs
• Methanol – a main component in rocket fuel
• Nicotine – used as insecticide
• Tar – material for paving roads
• Toluene – used to manufacture paint

Kids and Smoking

Keeping children and teenagers from starting smoking is critical and they need your help. Youth smoking can be prevented by the combined efforts of families, schools, communities and policymakers. For example:

• Parents can set a positive example for their children by not smoking themselves, and keeping their homes smokefree.
• Schools can provide tobacco prevention programs to educate students about the dangers of smoking and tobacco cessation programs to help young people who are already addicted quit smoking for good.
• States can pass legislation to increase taxes on tobacco products, pass and implement comprehensive smokefree indoor air laws, and limit minors’ access to tobacco products.