According to a report by Capitalfm on May 8th, the Kenyan tobacco industry has urged the government to review the 2007 Tobacco Control Act in order to accommodate new smokeless alternative products.
Douglas Weru, the scientific affairs manager at British American Tobacco Kenya (BAT Kenya), stated during a speech in Eldoret on Monday that current regulations are insufficient to support the use of graphic health warnings on non-smoked nicotine products. The 2007 Tobacco Control Act promotes research and information dissemination on the harmful effects of tobacco production and use, including its products.
Is the current Tobacco Control Law, established and enacted in 2007, sufficient? No, because many changes have occurred since 2007. New low-risk products have emerged, so the law should be amended to accommodate these new product categories.
Previously, the Kenyan Ministry of Health proposed to use graphic warnings on tobacco products and smokeless oral nicotine products, such as e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches. However, Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe expressed concerns that the proposed graphic warning signs could mislead users, as they are not factual and are not relevant to smokeless products at all.
We are looking for information that is not misleading to users, is factual, and is evidence-based. We have seen some images that are completely unrelated to the product. In this public participation meeting, we also agree with many shareholders who have conveyed that information, that images should correspond to the risks associated with the product.
The company's General Manager, Crispin Achola, stated that placing these health warning signs on smoke-free nicotine products will expose them to the same risks as traditional cigarettes and tobacco products.
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