By Anthonia Soyingbe
Entering the popular Rumour club located in the heart of the GRA, Ikeja, Lagos State capital on that fateful evening, one could not but observe the density of the foggy atmosphere as a result of cigarette smoking.
Young girls smoking – Google image
It was obviously not unusual to have such a murky environment going by the fact that it is a night club and a social arena where smoking is permitted. What perhaps was surprising was the number of young women that were seen engaged in the act on this particular day.
Despite the restrictive ban of use of tobacco and its products in Nigeria, an act aimed at domesticating the World Health Organisation (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) public smoking has remained a daily occurrence. Modernization and unhealthy imitation of the western world has also encouraged many ladies to embrace smoking.
From observation at the Night club for example, there was this young lady with an innocent look who kept on acknowledging greetings from people who obviously knew her on entering into the club arena.
Minutes after she came in, she ordered for a popular brand of vodka and poured out into a glass, then opening her knapsack, she brought out a pack of Aspen cigarettes. Right there, she collected a lighter from a male partner who also walked into the arena and to the amazement of this writer; she consumed about 15 sticks within the hour and a half.
She was not alone there were some others too who equally engaged in the smoking act to the detriment of the many passive smokers who were in the hall for the occasion that took guests to the club that night.
It is awesome to witness emancipation of women in Nigeria after many campaigns on women empowerment. Nigerian women are no doubt growing stronger and making cogent contributions to the Nation’s development, thus making women to respond to issues of modernization.
Unfortunately too, Nigerian women have also risen to the challenge of smoking and as such, the popular saying that “what a man can do, a woman can do better” is now being adapted to challenge male in this regards.
Before now, ladies that smoked and drank alcohol could be counted. It was unthinkable of some sort to be seen with cigarette especially in the public. But nowadays, more and more Nigerian young girls are taking up smoking and it is no more a shock seeing teenage girls smoke. After all, the caveat on the cigarette packs permits sale of cigarettes to adults above 18 and the information is: smokers are liable to die young.
The resentment many had for women cigarette smokers is gradually disappearing and girls are more determined to prove that they could do better in areas men had held sway.
Cigarette smoking in Nigeria previously used to be an exclusive reservation of the men, but Nigerian women, especially the youths, are now taking to smoking. According to a WHO statistics, there is an increase in the trend of females who have taken to the habit of smoking.
The report shows that the 5.4 million victims that die annually due to the deadly habit of smoking, 1.5 million are girls and women. The report also stated that half of the 151 countries surveyed, approximately as many girls use tobacco as boys. Unlike the Asian and European countries where many often say that the weather and the freedom enjoyed by females allow them to smoke and drink without raising eyebrows, the sudden rise in the number of ladies smoking and boozing has got many fearing that there could be more women smokers than male ones in the nearest future.
What is the attraction and why do many girls now take into smoking despite the warnings and the criticism about smokers?
Muyidat after she gained admission to study Accounting at Moshood Abiola Polytechnic in year 2005 took to smoking shortly after she was admitted into the institution. Daily Independent asked her why she took to smoking and smoking despite her decent upbringing from a strict Muslim home and her father an Islamic cleric. Answering she said, “I don’t know how I got into this habit but I am very sure I was influenced by my friends. My friends are very wayward and they introduced me to night clubbing, drinking and smoking. Smoking, just like drinking excessive alcohol makes me bold because I am naturally shy once I take like five sticks of cigarette and a glass of gin, I become bold and I can face anybody at any time,” she said while adding that she still indulges in smoking and drinking years after she graduated from the institution.
Lanre Akide a Nigerian based in London while commenting on the alarming rate at which Nigerian women abroad smokes recently posted on social network, “I have been to some Nigerian parties here in the UK and was very sad to see ladies smoking stick after stick without any health consideration. It is disappointing to know that while the developed world is rapidly moving away from smoking, some Nigerian women are adopting the dangerous habit.
“Presumably, smoking is viewed as some sort of gender empowerment in the minds of female smokers. Are these women trying to be ‘’kool’’ and liberated? I could assume that there is a co relation between empowerment and smoking amongst Nigerian women. Whilst I encourage women’s empowerment, I would hate to see an increase in lung cancers and other smoking related illnesses because we have chosen the wrong way to stand out” Said, Akinde
The new strategy being used by manufacturers and marketers of cigarettes in recent times is to link smoking with attractiveness, which easily fascinates ladies, ultimately making them helpless victims.
Many female smokers are also ignorant of the health hazards and link of smoking to many forms of cancers especially breast cancers the risks of which experts say doubles as a result of smoking.
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