Tag - Africa

“A cleaner, healthier city”: Expanding smoke-free spaces in Cape Town

Since 2020, the city of Cape Town has been working with the Partnership for Healthy Cities to increase smoke-free compliance in public buildings and raise awareness about the harms of second-hand tobacco smoke. Tobacco prevalence in South Africa is estimated to be around 20% of the adult population (aged 15+)1 and causes thousands of...

Claims illegal tobacco trade will boom in a smokefree NZ are smoke and mirrors, experts say

New Zealand lawmakers are exploring ways to make the country smokefree by 2025 Opinion - New Zealand's parliament is considering a new smokefree law to implement key components of the Smokefree Aotearoa 2025 Action Plan. This plan includes the removal of nicotine from tobacco and a reduction of the number of tobacco retail outlets to ensure...

Philip Morris Hikes Offer For Swedish Smokeless Tobacco Firm

Marlboro-maker Philip Morris International said Thursday it had increased its offer for smokeless tobacco company Swedish Match, as the US group looks to steer away from its traditional cigarette business. Philip Morris hiked its offer from 106 to 116 kronor per share -- bringing the total offer to 176.4 billion kronor ($15.76 billion) -- and...

The oldest trick in Big Tobacco’s playbook nearly derailed South Africa’s TB conference. Here’s why

On the morning of Saturday, September 3, 10 days before the opening of the seventh South African Tuberculosis (TB) Conference, the event was set to be the best-attended iteration of the gathering to date. More than 1 000 delegates had signed up and the interest from civil society was unparalleled. Public health experts’ enthusiasm came at a...

End tobacco farming in Kenya, NGOs tell Ruto

Joel Gitali says Ruto committed himself to that goal when he served as Agriculture minister in 2008-2010. In Summary •An estimated 36,000 farmers produce tobacco leaf on around 13,500 hectares of land, primarily in the Nyanza and Western regions of Kenya. •The Ministry of Health says it kills 9,000 Kenyans every year. Tobacco control advocates have asked President...

Need for urgent research on nicotine pouches

In Summary 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...

New report outlines continued illegalities in sale of nicotine pouches in Kenya

A new report has uncovered serious violations of the Kenya Tobacco Control Act in the introduction, promotion, and continued sale of the highly-addictive nicotine pouches in Kenya. According to the report titled: ‘Assessment Report on the Tobacco Industry Interference with the Regulation of Novel Tobacco Products in Kenya.’ The Kenyan market is now littered with...

Sierra Leone becomes 38th country with tobacco control laws in WHO African Region

Sierra Leone is now the newest of 38 countries in the WHO African region to have enacted a bill into law to protect its population against the harmful effects of tobacco and nicotine products. The Tobacco and Nicotine Control Act of 2022 was unanimously passed into law on 3 August 2022 by the country’s...

Let’s stop tobacco firms’ exploitation of our children

In many markets, policies that ban tobacco advertising through traditional media have forced the industry to focus on the point-of-sale (POS) as a critical channel to promote their products. In Kenya, the law prohibits virtually all forms of advertising and promotion of tobacco products. Although sponsorship by the tobacco industry is not completely prohibited,...

One in 10 African adolescents still uses tobacco, says WHO

The World Health Organisation Regional Office for Africa in Brazzaville, Congo said one in every 10 African adolescents still use tobacco despite 24 African countries instituting bans on smoking in public places. The global health agency also noted that while 35 African countries have banned tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship, the continent continues to have...

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