We must provide tobacco users the help they need to quit. The 2021 edition of World No Tobacco Day makes a special request to smokers; “Commit to Quit”. This message is particularly timely, especially at a time when the world continues to struggle to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. The World Health Organization (WHO) notes that...
Statement of Leonce SESSOU, Executive Secretary, African Tobacco Control Alliance (ATCA) on the occasion of World Health Day 2021 Lomé, 07 April 2021 This year, World Health Day mandates us to reflect on measures to make the world fairer and healthier. TheWorld Health Organization notes that the world is currently an unequal one because “as COVID-19...
Statement of Leonce SESSOU, Executive Secretary, African Tobacco Control Alliance (ATCA) According to statistics from the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) Botswana report launched on Thursday 17 December 2020 by the country’s Minister of Health and Well-being, Dr Edwin Dikoloti, 240,000 adults aged 15 and above (17.6%) use tobacco. This is the highest tobacco use...
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...
Statement of Leonce SESSOU, Executive Secretary, African Tobacco Control Alliance (ATCA) This year, World No Tobacco Day is focusing on protecting the youth from tobacco industry manipulation and taking measures to ensure that they are protected from tobacco and nicotine use. This orientation provides the opportunity for tobacco control advocates to remind the world that...
Statement of Leonce SESSOU, Executive Secretary, African Tobacco Control Alliance (ATCA) During this difficult time when the world struggles to deal with the corona virus disease (COVID19) pandemic, the African tobacco control community has noted with dismay, that tobacco multinationals are using the crisis to engage in activities that either help to clean their image,...
Statement of Leonce SESSOU, Executive Secretary, African Tobacco Control Alliance (ATCA) Today, the tobacco control community celebrates another resounding success as the Supreme Court of Kenya ruled to uphold the country’s Tobacco Control Regulations. The Regulations which mandate pictorial health warnings, smoke-free public places, protection of tobacco control policies from tobacco industry interference, products disclosure...
Statement of Deowan Mohee, Executive Secretary of the African Tobacco Control Alliance (ATCA). Since June 12, 2019, a major change has been noted at points of sale of tobacco products in Cameroon. New cigarette packs with pictorial health warnings are now available at these tobacco outlets throughout the country. This change follows the decision taken...
Statement of Deowan Mohee, Executive Secretary, African Tobacco Control Alliance (ATCA) On Tuesday May 28, 2019, the Constitutional Court of Uganda dismissed a case initiated by British American Tobacco Uganda Limited, challenging the enactment of the Tobacco Control Act of 2015. BAT, which filed the court case on November 30, 2016, stated that certain provisions...
Statement of Deowan Mohee, Executive Secretary, African Tobacco Control Alliance (ATCA) A recent report released by Tax Justice Network (TJN) shows that British American Tobacco (BAT) avoids paying full corporate tax in low-and middle-income countries where it operates. For every dollar that the giant multinational paid as corporate tax in the 8 countries covered by...
