November 2023
Kenya Urged to Hike Excise Duties
Kenya should increase its cigarette excise duties in line with World Health Organization guidelines, according to coalition of health experts, tobacco control advocates and national development policy specialists, reports People Daily Kenya. The call comes in response to the government’s 2023-2024 financial budget, which for the first time in a decade maintains cigarette tax levels at...
Big divide over South Africa’s new smoking laws
The Portfolio Committee on Health has held more public hearings on the Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill in Mpumalanga, with opinions on the bill again coming in mixed. The Bill, which has been met with vehement opposition from those within the tobacco industry, broadly aims to introduce the following: Indoor public places...
FDA suggests institutions incorporate anti-smoking education into programme activities
The Eastern Regional Office of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) is encouraging institutions to incorporate anti-smoking education into their programme activities to help increase awareness about smoking risks and promote healthier lifestyles. The authority believes that by integrating anti-smoking education, institutions can play a vital role in preventing the harmful effects of smoking and...
MoH empowers Tobacco Board to fight rise in addictive products
As new tobacco products targeting children flood the country, the Ministry of Health has agreed to cede more powers to the entity created to fight them. The ministry said it would propose amendments to the Tobacco Control Act to make the Tobacco Control Board stronger. The board was created under the Tobacco Control Act 2007 but...
WHO African countries convene ahead of the 10th Conference of Parties to the WHO FCTC and 3rd Meeting of Parties to the Protocol to secure regional consensus on key decisions at the tobacco control conferences
The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Africa (AFRO) in collaboration with the Secretariat of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) has completed a four-day Africa regional preparatory meeting for the 10th session of the Conference of Parties (COP 10) to the WHO FCTC and the 3rd meeting of the...
Tobacco taxes not high enough, State told
Health experts, tobacco control advocates and national development policy specialists in Kenya have renewed their demands on the taxation of cigarettes. They are basing their arguments on the recent tax announcements in the 2023/24 financial year budget which did not adjust the excise duty on cigarettes upwards, despite proposals. And for the first time in about...
National Taxpayers Association calls for heavy taxation on e-cigarette
Concerns are raised over the surge in the use of electronic cigarettes popularly known as e-cigarettes among Generation Z. An e-cigarette is a device that allows you to inhale nicotine in a vapour form rather than smoke. According to study findings by the Brain and Mind Institute based at the Aga Khan University Nairobi, the prevalence...
October 2023
African Govts Told To Block Tobacco Loopholes As ATCA Releases 2023 Index
Governments across Africa have been urged to block all loopholes exploited by tobacco multinationals and fronts to undermine the implementation of tobacco control regulations and programmes on the continent. The call came at the recent launching of the 2023 Africa Tobacco Industry Interference Index report attended by tobacco control advocates, government officials, journalists and other...
