Raising tobacco taxes is a win-win for governments
This week, technical experts from the Ministry of Finance and Planning, Revenue Authorities, Ministries of Health in Tanzania Mainland and Zanzibar and WHO Country Office are meeting to deep dive into tobacco taxation - the most effective and most cost-effective measure to reduce tobacco consumption. Through technical assistance from the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco...
Kenya: Revenue authority proposes higher tobacco stamp duties.
In June 2022, the President assented to the Finance Bill 2022 thereby activating various proposals to Kenya’s fiscal governance regimes. Among the changes effected were the increased excise duty rates for various tobacco and nicotine products such as electronic cigarettes and the liquid nicotine therein, cartridges for use in electronic cigarettes, cigarettes with/without filters,...
CSO’s Consult on Tobacco Endgame in Ghana
A Consultative Forum for Civil Society Organizations was held on 8th February 2023 in Accra, where Mr. Issah Ali, Executive Director of Vision for Alternative Development (VALD) highlighted the concept of the Tobacco Endgame. He shed light on its effective strategies, global best practices, the opportunities available to Ghana and other areas of reflection. Mr....
Pro-tobacco lobbyists circle Australian government’s proposed vaping reforms
As the TGA considers at least 4,000 submissions, tobacco companies appear to be heightening lobbying efforts An international pro-vaping group, supported by British American Tobacco, has hired an Australian lobbyist amid proposed government reforms that could see tightened access to nicotine vaping products. In February, Michael Kauter – a former deputy director of the Nationals and...
UK health expert raises alarm at vaping ‘epidemic’ among teenagers
One of the UK’s leading respiratory doctors has raised the alarm about the exploding popularity of vaping among teenagers, saying that without urgent regulation a generation could end up with long-term addictions and lung damage. Dr Mike McKean, vice-president of policy for the Royal College of Paediatricians and Child Health, said vaping was becoming an...