If Smoking Kills, Then Why Make It Legal?

The tobacco epidemic is one of the biggest public health threats the world has ever faced, killing more than 8 million people yearly worldwide. More than 7 million of those deaths are the result of direct tobacco use, while around 1.2 million are the result of non-smokers being exposed to second-hand smoke. If cigarettes kill, why do tobacco giants still wield so much power? With many health hazards, could it for be for its economic benefits? Why is tobacco production and smoking legal? Lawyer and member of Tobacco Control Nigeria, Omotosho Damilola, explains why Smoking is still legal in Nigeria irrespective of the fact that it kills.