Ghana lagging behind in tobacco taxation – Vision for Alternative Development
The Vision for Alternative Development (VALD), a non-governmental organization is urging the government of Ghana to implement tobacco tax as part of control initiatives to reduce the crime rate associated with tobacco trade, and excessive use while increasing revenue for health and development. According to a policy brief by the NGO, tobacco use “Is a...
In Defiance Of WHO Laws, Tobacco Industry Takes Advantage Of Weak Laws
ODIMEGWU ONWUMERE uncovers in this report that the tobacco industry in Nigeria, even on the continent, continues to expertly exploit and circumvent legal loopholes to operate virtually unsupervised. Only tobacco manufacturers and sellers are permitted to market and promote tobacco products to "consenting" adults under Nigeria's Tobacco Control Laws. It is forbidden for any other...
Shisha: A gateway for non-communicable diseases
ZIMBABWE, just like the rest of the world, is making significant strides in fighting noncommunicable diseases which have become a major undoing in the public health sector. Although the country has realised improvements in service delivery, noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) like cancer, diabetes, hypertension, and depression, the three most common conditions in Zimbabwe, have threatened to...
BAT-Kenya lobbying for tax reduction to give Lyft a lifeline in Africa
British American Tobacco (BAT), through its Kenya subsidiary, is lobbying the government to slash a proposed tax hike on a yet-to-be launched nicotine pouch – a move expected to boost company profit, cement dominance in the African market, and compensate for the dipping cigarette use in Europe. In a submission to parliament’s Finance Committee, BAT...
BAT reverses ban to relaunch nicotine pouches in Kenya
In less than 24 months, nicotine pouches are back on the Kenyan market after British American Tobacco (BAT), the biggest manufacturer in Kenya, lobbied government authorities for their reintroduction. Meanwhile, the tobacco manufacturer continues to push for the opening of its $2.5m nicotine manufacturing plant in Nairobi. Confidential documents seen by The Africa Report show...
Watch Out for Smokeless Tobacco and Nicotine
Do you know that your child could be consuming tobacco and nicotine products right under your nose? For parents, now is the time to watch out for smokeless tobacco and nicotine. If you think the tobacco industry will go down without a fight, you are mistaken. Let me jog your memory before I tell you...
Report: Kenya losing momentum in anti-tobacco war
Kenya has lost the gains made in tobacco control before the Covid-19 pandemic, a new report shows. The Global Tobacco Index is produced by the Global Centre for Good Governance in Tobacco Control (GGTC) as part of the STOP (Stopping Tobacco Organizations and Products) global tobacco industry watchdog. It focuses on the World Health Organization (WHO)’s...
Tobacco Control: Is Kenya at a loss?
The blossoming tobacco industry is hampering Kenya’s efforts to reduce tobacco consumption, says the International Institute of Legislative Affairs (IILA). Despite the well documented effects of tobacco use that causes 8.8 million deaths globally every year, the country continues to tread softly around its stated intentions to control consumption of cigarettes and smokeless products. IILA attributes...
MWANGI: Need for urgent research on nicotine pouches
When consumed in high levels, nicotine can lead to poisoning and death, but the most common problem with the chemical is its addictive nature. It reconfigures how the brain operates and makes people crave tobacco products. There is a raging debate as to whether nicotine pouches should be restricted due to the fact that...
We must stem increasing use of tobacco by women
Africa is experiencing an increasing rate of tobacco use. The rapid growth of the population in Sub-Saharan Africa and an increase in consumer purchasing power is leading to larger, ready and more accessible markets in Africa. In addition, there are rigorous efforts by the tobacco industry to expand African markets. Shockingly in Africa, according to...
