INVESTIGATION: New nicotine products are finding market among young Nigerians amid regulatory gaps

This investigation examines how new and emerging nicotine and tobacco products (NENTPs) such as vapes, e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products and oral nicotine pouches are spreading among young Nigerians amid significant regulatory gaps. It opens with the cases of Esther Vincent, who began vaping at 15 and was later found to have THC in her system from a dealer's spiked products, and 16-year-old Mary James, both of whom are now in rehabilitation at the David Folaranmi Foundation. The article notes that over 100 million people vape globally, including roughly 15 million adolescents, and that a CAPPA surveillance report documented 573 NENTPs in Nigerian retail and digital spaces within three months, with e-cigarettes accounting for 522 of 781 items recorded across Lagos, Enugu and Abuja. Retailers in Enugu, Owerri and Port Harcourt describe vaping as a booming business, with disposable products selling for between N10,000 and N40,000, and youth surveys showing lifetime usage rates as high as 37.2% in Benin City. Manufacturers are said to use aggressive tactics including scholarships, celebrity endorsements such as Burna Boy's deal with BrkFst and Snoop Dogg's promotion of Al Fakher, influencer partnerships and child-friendly imagery. Health experts warn of cardiovascular and respiratory harms, noting that nicotine makes blood more prone to clotting and that flavoured products banned in manufacturing countries like China are exported to Nigeria. The article highlights legal gaps, as the National Tobacco Control Act does not explicitly cover vaping or e-liquid products, and a 2025 amendment bill was rejected by over 100 civil society organisations for weakening safeguards and authorising online sales and product displays. Tobacco control funding has declined from N13 million in 2025 to about N9.2 million in 2026, despite advocates saying at least N300 million yearly is needed, while the government has begun taxing the vaping industry under the 2026 Fiscal Policy Measures.

(Source：TheCable)