Stakeholders in the tobacco industry have reiterated calls for a review of the proposed graphic health warnings for tobacco products saying the draft health warnings by the health ministry do not differentiate between traditional tobacco products from modern nicotine alternatives.
Speaking at the last public participation forum hosted by the health ministry at the National Industrial Training Authority (NITA) centre in Athi River on Wednesday, stakeholders continued to express reservations over the proposed use of similar graphic health warnings on cigarettes and nicotine products, urging the ministry to reconsider its position.
The participants drawn from different sectors urged the Ministry of Health to rethink the graphic warnings saying they should be based on scientific evidence and facts saying failure to align with the market trends will lead to an increase in use of illegal products in the market.
“We propagate the message of harm reduction with particular reference to health warning pushed by the Ministry of Health. However, we need to follow the science that other developed countries have been able to do to reduce their smoking rates. We must also acknowledge that the number of smokers in middle- and low-income countries are increasing. As a country we must accept reduce risked products to assist smokers quit smoking.
“We request the Ministry to relook the proposed health warnings and make sure that they are factual and based on science. The overall impact of these actions and proposals will lead to the rise of illegal products in the market and affects our ability to operate in the future resulting in significant business and job losses,” said Dr. Michael Kariuki, Secretary-General of the Harm Reduction Society of Kenya.
The stakeholders in the tobacco industry went on ask the government to amend the laws that will incorporate the new smokeless products arguing that the graphic design warning discussed in the different public participation forums were improvised before the nicotine pouches and vapes were introduced in the market.
“There is a lot to be done… we cannot use the law to address matters that are not entrenched in the law. For matters vapes and nicotine pouches, the diagrams were done before the new products were in the market. Therefore, the government should first amend the law and include the new products. Both sides of the divide must be represented as using graphic images alone will not deter smoking,” said Wambui Mbarire, Chief Executive Officer of the Retail Traders Association of Kenya (Retrak).
The Ministry of Health has published a draft of graphic health warnings for tobacco products that seek to make it mandatory for both traditional cigarettes and smokeless nicotine products to prominently display similar health warnings.
Bar, Hotels, and Liquor Traders Association of Kenya (BAHLITA) Secretary General Boniface Gachoka said the Health Ministry should back the proposed graphic warnings on tobacco products with scientific medical evidence arguing that the new smokeless nicotine products have been endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO).
“The question we should be asking is whether there is any scientific and medical evidence associating the new nicotine products to the graphic health warnings proposed by the Ministry of Health. WHO has approved the smokeless nicotine products as they have no tobacco, no smoke and have reduced profile risks,” he said.
Speaking at the same function, the Campaign for Safer Alternatives (CASA) – a Pan-African non-governmental organisation dedicated to achieving 100 percent smoke-free environments in Africa – said the proposal to put tobacco-style warnings on safer nicotine alternatives may inadvertently hinder efforts to reduce smoking rates and reduce smoking-related deaths warned
CASA raised its concerns at the final public hearing on the Ministry of Health’s proposals for graphic health warnings for tobacco and nicotine products in Machakos this morning.
“We respectfully urge the Ministry of Health to reconsider their proposals. The warnings in their current form will deter smokers from switching to alternatives which research shows are one of the most effective tools for quitting smoking.
“It is the burning of the tobacco that causes the vast majority of the harm from smoking. Tobacco-free nicotine products don’t burn tobacco, so for the Ministry to propose warnings claiming they’re not safer is scientifically inaccurate.
“Instead of warnings designed to stop smokers from switching to potentially life-saving alternatives, the Ministry of Health should focus on evidence-based policies that promote harm reduction and smoking cessation,” said Joseph Magero, Chairman of CASA.
