KETCA urges tobacco farmers to grow nutritious food

Marking the World’s No Tobacco day, Kenya Tobacco Control Alliance(KETCA) has today campaigned on the importance of growing sustainable nutritious crops instead of tobacco.

With this year’s theme “We need food, not tobacco”, KETCA aims at raising awareness of creating alternative crop production and marketing opportunities for tobacco farmers.

Speaking to the media today, KETCA chairman Joel Gitali said that tobacco farming has a far more destructive impact on ecosystems compared to other agricultural products.

They is an urgent need for legal measures to be taken to reduce tobacco growing.Tobacco farming has a far more destructive impact on ecosystems compared to other agricultural products. We therefore urge the  government to help develop suitable strategies to enable market conditions for tobacco farmers to shift to growing food crops.” Said Mr Gitali.

KETCA also urges the government to raise taxes on tobacco and nicotine products so as to help control tobacco abuse.

There is a need to raise taxes on tobacco and nicotine products for failing to do so, the poor will be hurt most since they cannot afford treatment for diseases such as cancer.” Gitali further stated

The affordability and easy accessibility of tobacco and alcohol products have played a significant role in enabling their widespread use, including among vulnerable populations, such as young children.

According to KETCA, tobacco usage has claimed the lives of approximately 9,000 Kenyan users annually.

Source: CEO AFRICA