Image Courtesy of Ministry of Health

 World No Tobacco Day

A report; “International Tobacco Control Study (2018) Kenya Report, released on Monday records that more than 220,000 children and more than 2.7 million adults continue to use tobacco each day.

According to the Ministry of Health, which released the report during the commemoration of World No Tobacco Day, more than 8,100 Kenyans die of tobacco-related diseases every year.

“Every year, more than 8,100 Kenyans die of tobacco-related diseases, while more than 220,000 children and more than 2,737,000 adults continue to use tobacco each day. Thus, prevention and cessation services are important to save the lives of Kenyans,” the Ministry said.

In line with the World No Tobacco Day 2021 theme; #CommitToQuit the ministry called on smokers to quit smoking, saying the government together with partners, has created strong digital platforms where people can find information and social support they need to quit.

“MOH_Kenya has partnered with WHO & NACADA to ensure that callers have access to advice, toll-free quitlines, mobile & digital cessation services, nicotine replacement therapies & other tools that are proven to help people quit,” the ministry said in a tweet.

Single Cigarette Ban

The ITC Kenya report also identified the need for the Government of Kenya to strengthen tobacco control efforts and observed that a key challenge to reducing tobacco use is the high rate of single cigarettes. The 2018 survey found that 82% of smokers reported last purchasing single cigarettes rather than a pack, about the same as in 2012.

“There is a need for Kenya’s existing ban on packs containing fewer than 12 cigarettes to be more strongly enforced”.

The law in Kenya prohibits the sell of single cigarettes.  “sell of cigarettes except in a package containing at least ten cigarettes, or such other minimum number of cigarettes, not being less than ten, as may be prescribed.”

The report also urged the country to increase the size of tobacco health warnings, from their current 30% to at least 50%, which is the required size of warnings under the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), the report says.