The Public Health Principal Secretary’s recent comments about vapes and nicotine pouches have raised eyebrows, not for their insight but for their stark lack of scientific grounding.
Following her declaration last year of her intention to “wipe out” these products, the PS’ remarks are not only ill-advised but potentially harmful to the millions of Kenyan smokers who are desperate for effective tools to quit smoking.
As our legislators consider regulations for alternative nicotine products, it is imperative they base their decisions on scientific evidence, not knee-jerk reactions or headline-grabbing rhetoric.
The evidence supporting the efficacy of alternative nicotine products is compelling. A recent report by the eminent Cochrane institute confirms that vapes are the most effective tools for stopping smoking.
Smoke-free nicotine products, which do not contain tobacco, are proven to be significantly less harmful than traditional cigarettes – by as much as 95%, according to extensive international research.
Consider also these findings:
- Local research: Researchers at the University of Nairobi have concluded that nicotine pouches expose users to far fewer toxicants than combustible cigarettes.
- Global endorsements: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has acknowledged that nicotine pouches can “significantly reduce harm and the risk of tobacco-related disease”.[3]
- Success stories abroad: In countries such as Sweden, New Zealand and the UK, where smoke-free safer alternatives have been adopted as part of harm-reduction policies, smoking rates have reduced dramatically, with significant health dividends. [4] [5] Let us also not forget the voices of Kenyan smokers seeking to quit, who are too often conspicuously absent in this debate.
Quitting smoking is one of the hardest challenges a person can undertake. In Kenya, nearly two-thirds of the 2.7 million smokers express a desire to kick their habit, yet only a small fraction manage to do so.[6]
The “cold turkey” approach often touted by prohibitionists is, for most, an exercise in futility.
I speak from personal experience. As a former heavy smoker, I know the despair of trying and failing to quit. Promises to myself and my family were repeatedly broken as I found myself drawn back to the habit. My turning point came when I discovered nicotine alternatives.
Nicotine pouches and vapes allowed me to transition away from combustible cigarettes, and I am proud to say I have been smoke-free for nearly a decade. These products quite literally saved my life, as they have for millions of others worldwide.
Banning or excessively taxing nicotine products will not eliminate demand; it will only drive consumers towards the black market. This is already evident in Kenya, where unregulated sales thrive in bars, restaurants and informal markets. Worse still, such an approach would leave smokers with no viable option but to continue using deadly combustible cigarettes.
Evidence-based regulation, rather than prohibition, is the key to ensuring product safety and preventing underage access. Global evidence shows that, while some teens may experiment with alternative nicotine products, regular use remains minimal.[7]
This is why the Tobacco Control (Amendment) Bill 2024 is so important, as it offers a unique opportunity to address these matters for the benefit of all.
But fearmongering and ideological rigidity should not be allowed to dictate public health policy. The stakes are too high.
Thousands of lives are lost every year to smoking-related diseases in Kenya. International evidence shows that providing smokers with less risky, affordable alternatives is the best way to reduce that death toll.
In the fight against smoking, let science, not sensationalism, lead the way.
Joseph Magero is the chairman of the Campaign for Safer Alternatives (CASA) – a pan-African non-governmental member organization dedicated to achieving 100% smoke free environments in Africa. info@safer-alternatives.org
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