Environmental sanity: LASG to enforce indoor smoking at nightclubs, bars, lounges

The Lagos State Government (LASG) has said it will further regulate activities to ensure sanity around nightclubs, bars, and lounges across the state, by enforcing indoor smoking in areas where they operate.

The Director General, Lagos State Safety Commission, Mr Lanre Mojola, and the General Manager, Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency, Dr Tunde Ajayi, made the pronouncement on Tuesday at a safety workshop organised for stakeholders in the state’s hospitality.

At the event with the theme, ‘Establishing a safety culture in the night life sector in Lagos State,’  the DG, Lagos State Safety Commission, Mojola, said it was high time Nigerians complied with rules and regulation, especially with international standards as it relates to smoking.

“There is no doubt, Lagos State will enforce indoor smoking at nightclubs, bars and lounges because it is high time we did our business as the law stipulates and not as we want it to be done, especially in Lagos State where safety and health of all the citizens is of utmost concern of the (Babajide) Sanwo-Olu-led administration,” Mojola said.

He stressed that in every hotel, there should be a designated place for smoking cigarettes different from a place where everyone is relaxing, adding that nightclubs, bars and lounges that flout this order would face the full wrath of the law going forward.

He said though the service quality in the hospitality sector in Nigeria could be inconsistent, with issues such as poor customer service, lack of trained personnel and substandard facilities, with proper monitoring by relevant agencies and adequate safety precautions, the challenges would reduce drastically.

Similarly, LASEPA GM, Ajayi, said his agency would support the safety commission to enforce indoor smoking at nightclubs, bars and lounges in the state.