Rethink graphic health warnings on tobacco, nicotine products - Health Ministry urged

Public participation in proposed new graphic health warnings for tobacco products kicked off in Kisumu Thursday with stakeholders asking the Ministry of Health to incorporate emerging trends.

A section of stakeholders turned up to share their views and asked the Ministry of Health (MoH) to expedite the process of coming up with the proposed warnings which are to be used on the packaging of tobacco and nicotine products.

The group called for research while formulating the new warning, adding that there’s a need to ensure that the proposed warnings conform to existing laws.

Speaking at the event, Boniface Gachoka, Secretary-General of the Bars, Hotels, and Liquor Traders Association of Kenya (BAHLITA) urged the Ministry to undertake wider consultations in considering new proposals.

He added that there is an opportunity for the Government to consider innovations in the industry.

“We are very serious about control of tobacco products, but some of the efforts we are seeing are discouraging investments that have been made in this country for many years. That is why we are asking the Ministry of Health to undertake a lot of consultations and to undertake serious research in this regard,” he said.

“As an organization, we have decided to support the harm reduction campaign – which is a global campaign that has introduced nicotine pouches, e-cigarettes, and others. This is because they are the future just as everyone else across other industries is adopting new technologies, innovating, and improving on their products.”

He spoke during the exercise held at the Tom Mboya Labour College in Kisumu.

On his part, the⁠ ⁠ Harm Reduction Society of Kenya (HRS) Secretary-General, Dr. Michael Kariuki said:

“When coming up with these graphic health warnings, relevant authorities need to check whether they are appropriate and, particularly, whether they conform to the law."

"What we are saying is that we need a balanced approach to this issue and the Government through the Ministry of Health needs to engage stakeholders more in a bid to ensure that the health warnings being presented are aligned to the law.”

The stakeholders asked the Ministry to rethink its approach to new products being introduced in the tobacco industry which, they say, is meant to help smokers transition from the more harmful traditional cigarettes to the less-riskier modern nicotine products.

The public participation exercise in Kisumu was the second for the day, with another taking place concurrently in Nyeri.s.

The Ministry of Health invited stakeholders to submit their comments, views, representations, and memoranda on the proposed graphic warnings with in-person submissions taking place across seven counties namely Kisumu, Kakamega, Eldoret, Nyeri, Machakos, Mombasa, and Embu.

The public participation sessions continue Friday in Kakamega and Embu counties.