Blog

Nigeria: Committee to discourage youths from smoking with National Tobacco Control Act

The National Tobacco Control Committee has pledged to enforce the National Tobacco Control Act and Regulations to discourage Nigerian youths from smoking at early age. NAN recalls that the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, had on Wednesday inaugurated the committee to implement the new gazetted 2019 National Tobacco Control Act and Regulations. Okoeguale, a former...

South Africa: Children must be protected from the glamourised promotion of e-cigarettes

In malls, colourful e-cigarette kiosks are in plain sight of children. The sleek and youthful designs capitalise on the world’s move towards gadgets and technology. Youth-friendly flavours such as ‘gummy bear’ create a perception that these products are safe. A crucial part of tobacco control policy is stopping young people from starting to use tobacco...

Turbulence surrounding tobacco control in Ghana

Public health experts were alarmed by September's news that Ghana's Revenue Authority (GRA) had inked a major five-year contract with British security printing company, De La Rue. The tender aimed to create a track-and-trace tax stamp system to combat the lucrative illicit tobacco trade, which costs governments around the world an estimated $40 billion...

Global Tobacco Index Country Ranking: Ghana Can Perform Better

The Vision for Alternative Development (VALD), has expressed concern about the continuous tobacco industry interference in public health policies in Ghana and urged the government to improve transparency in its engagement with the industry. It said in a recent global tobacco industry interferences index ranking report, Ghana scored 58 while Uganda, Peru and the United...

Kenya: Don’t grant cigarette makers tax holiday

By ELIZABETH MBUGUA AND CELINE AWUOR In response to the global tobacco control efforts to fight the prevalence of tobacco use, which results in more than 8 million deaths annually, the tobacco industry is now pushing the agenda of introducing “less harmful” products. One such product that was introduced in 2019 by British American Tobacco (BAT) Kenya...

Global Tobacco Industry Interference Index 2020

Introduction While the COVID-19 pandemic has made public health a top priority across the globe, it has also put a strain on health departments, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, which are already burdened with a massive health bill from tobacco-related diseases and death. The tobacco industry, which is responsible for more than 8 million deaths...

The Big Tobacco Allies – Report in Zambia

The Big Tobacco Allies – How tobacco companies use intermediaries to foster their corporate social responsibility initiatives and promote their image in Zambia. The Big Tobacco Allies, a report which exposes the use of intermediaries by tobacco multinationals for their benefit in Zambia, was launched on Friday 05 February 2021. The report, prepared by the...

Victory against the tobacco industry in South Africa during the COVID – 19 pandemic: A source of inspiration for WHO Afro parties to uphold public health.

Statement of Leonce SESSOU, Executive Secretary, African Tobacco Control Alliance (ATCA) "The fact that a substance is addictive does not render it essential." This is a unanimous conclusion by Judges Mlambo, Molefe and Basson on Friday 26 June 2020 while passing their judgment on the case between Fair Trade Independent Tobacco Association’s (FITA) and the...

Donate

$