. Tobacco kills more than 7 million people annually, WHO reports.
. Around 80 per cent of the world’s 1.1 billion smokers live in low and middle-income countries.
As World No Tobacco Day (May 31) approaches, increasing awareness is needed on the negative impact of tobacco on people’s health.
Tobacco causes cancer and many chronic respiratory diseases.
According to WHO, tobacco kills more than seven million people each year. More than six million of those deaths are as a result of direct tobacco use while around 890,000 are from second-hand smoke.
Around 80 per cent of the world’s 1.1 billion smokers live in low and middle-income countries.
Locally, Nacada reports that 8.6 per cent of the population uses tobacco products and is largely male.
On average, smokers lose 15 years of life as 50 per cent of smokers who begin smoking when they were young will die of a smoking related illness.
Tobacco use takes an enormous toll on the people of Kenya and the government has come up with measures to handle the issue.
The main source of cigarette purchase for smokers is shops (65 per cent) and kiosks (30.9 per cent).
For more than 23 years, tobacco has been on the public health agenda in Kenya and in June 25, 2004, Kenya became one of the first countries to sign and ratify the WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.
The treaty establishes evidence-based tobacco control measures and parties to the treaty are obliged to implement it.
Kenya has enforced smoke-free environments and has ensured that to a large extent smoking only happens in designated areas, protecting non –smokers from tobacco exposure.
Through the 2007 Tobacco Act, cigarette companies were banned from conducting any form of adverting of their products, promotion and sponsorship. This has protected the young people from being misled.
By law cigarette packs must have large text warnings giving information on the harmful effects of tobacco use.
The Kenya Revenue Authority has also put in place an elaborate “track and trace” system through its Excisable Goods Management System, which will reduce cases of illicit trade in tobacco products.
The goal is to strengthen tax administration and reduce affordability of tobacco products, especially to the poor and the youth.
There has also been more public awareness and education, limited sales to minors all aiming to reduce tobacco usage.
The government has over time compounded the heavily regulated market with even more taxation. But stakeholders say this has contributed to the rise of counterfeit and smuggled tobacco.
British American Tobacco (BAT), Kenya’s leading cigarette maker, urged the government to review its taxation policy for the tobacco sector, saying it holds back the government's war against counterfeit and smuggled tobacco.
Tobacco use by the numbers
Data from NACADA shows that:
16.8 per cent of males are current users of tobacco products contrasting sharply with 2.1 per cent of females.
Central region leads with 22.6 per cent of males using tobacco followed by Nairobi at 22.5 per cent.
Four out five lung cancers are caused by smoking and nine out of ten people who get lung cancer will die from the disease, usually within two years of diagnosis.
More people die from smoking than from AIDS, car accidents, suicide, murder, fires and other drugs combined. Tobacco kills 1,200 people daily.