- The Tobacco company noted that there are countries which have experienced a rapid decline in smoking.
- They urged that the use and sale of smokeless nicotine and tobacco products by and to the underage should be prohibited by law.
Image: FILE
To mark World Vape Day and subsequently, World No Tobacco Day on May 31, British American Tobacco Kenya is calling for the implementation of sustainable regulation for smokeless nicotine and tobacco products.
This they are calling for to achieve a smoke-free Kenya.
In a statement on Thursday, the tobacco company said more than one billion people globally continue to smoke despite the serious risks.
"According to population modelling studies, a significant reduction in smoking-related disease could be achieved if smokers switched exclusively to reduced-risk alternatives," the statement read in part.
BAT said appropriate regulation is required to encourage adult smokers to switch and protect consumers from inauthentic products, with stringent safety standards and prevent underage access and use.
They gave out principles to be applied for effective and impactful regulation relating to smokeless nicotine and tobacco products.
"There should be regulations in all countries where cigarettes are sold, to also cater to a wide range of smokeless alternatives to ensure that consumers can access them and make informed choices about switching based on the best available scientific evidence," they said.
They urged that the use and sale of smokeless nicotine and tobacco products by and to the underage should be prohibited by law.
Consequently, robust and properly enforced quality and safety standards should be at the heart of regulation, to protect consumers.
"Regulation should provide enforcement authorities with the necessary powers to apply penalties and sanctions to those who fail to comply with regulations, particularly those who supply non-compliant products or provide products to those who are underage," BAT noted.
Head of External Affairs for BAT Kenya and East and Southern Africa Markets Tashanya Okola said smokeless alternatives to cigarettes are key to supporting the government’s public health agenda.
She said they are clear on their responsibilities and therefore want to have transparent conversations about appropriate regulations.
"The migration of smokers to these alternatives is crucial both for countries looking to reduce their smoking rates and for global public health more broadly. Whether or not governments can take advantage of these products and maximise their harm reduction potential depends as much on the implementation of progressive, risk-proportionate regulation, as it does on changes in consumer behaviour," Okola said.
The Tobacco company noted that there are countries which have experienced a rapid decline in smoking.
This they said is because they implemented regulations that recognise the harm reduction potential of smokeless products.
"The UK, US and Japan are all reporting their lowest smoking rates on record, while Sweden is on track to declaring itself smoke-free this year, 16 years ahead of the 2040 EU target," BAT said.
"This is largely a result of widespread awareness, availability and usage of smokeless alternatives, such as vapour products, heated products and nicotine pouches," it added.
Okola further said there are widespread misconceptions about the risk of smokeless products compared to smoking.
She said this discourages many smokers who don’t quit smoking from switching.
"Well, stewarded smokeless tobacco and nicotine products have a considerably lower-risk profile than smoking. It is the toxicants released by the burning of tobacco that cause the harm associated with smoking," Okola said.
Further, BAT publicly reaffirmed its position that no underage persons should use nicotine products.
They noted having strict guidelines to prevent sales to underage, and research guidelines which mandate that market research is only conducted on adult nicotine consumers.
"Measures include prominent 18+ age restriction warnings on our product packaging, alongside various efforts to enforce robust guidelines with the traders to prevent underage access, such as training and mystery shopping," BAT said.