• This, they said, will also subject Kenyans to unnecessary yet preventable deaths.
• They cited the WHO which states tobacco use is responsible for over eight million deaths globally every year while alcohol, on the other hand, contributes to over three million deaths annually.
Image: COURTESY
A group from civil society has denounced the listing of alcohol and tobacco among essential products in the country.
The 11 organisations involved in tobacco, alcohol control and health promotion, claim that the listing of the two among essential products will make the government’s efforts in fighting Covid-19 counterproductive.
This, they said, will also subject Kenyans to unnecessary yet preventable deaths.
The groups include Kenya Tobacco Control Alliance, International Institute for Legal Affairs, APCN, Kenya Network of Cancer Organisations, SCAD, CIN and Den of Hope Youth Group.
Others are NCD Alliance, BECHAMP, National Taxpayers Association and Social Liberation and Health Promotion Network.
"We are saddened that the Ministry of Industrialisation and Trade has chosen to enlist alcohol and tobacco as part of essential products," read a statement by the group.
On Wednesday, the government published a list of essential products among them alcoholic beverages and tobacco.
Industrialisation CS Betty Maina said in order to appropriately respond to the issues affecting the business sector during the Covid-19 outbreak, she formed a Business Emergency Response Centre (BERC) that identified the essential products.
The centre's technical committee of analysts identified the manufacturers, producers and suppliers of the under listed as essential to the sustenance of lives and efforts must be taken to keep them operational throughout the crisis period.Trade and Industrialisation Ministry
It said due to their significance, workers and providers of logistics to these sectors need protection and/or, special permits and transport in the event of a lockdown.
The group argued a time has come for the government to remain wary of commercial and vested interests of these industries even as it is collaborating in trying to find solutions to the pandemic.
"We believe that your ministry is well-intentioned in supporting the fight against Covid-19. We urge you to kindly withdraw the listing of these deadly commodities as part of essential products," the statement from the group read.
According to them, the World Health Organization and other global health experts have authoritatively cited that smoking increases the risk of Covid-19 death.
"Numerous research has also indicated that people with pre-existing conditions such as cancers, diabetes, among others non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are highly susceptible to viral attacks such as the Covid-19," they said.
The groups said numerous studies also listed tobacco and alcohol use as significant risk factors for these conditions.
They cited the WHO which states tobacco use is responsible for over eight million deaths globally every year while alcohol, on the other hand, contributes to over three million deaths annually.
"Besides the pandemic, we see these products as death-traps whose consumption will continue to strain the health system and increase the health burden in Kenya. To this, we should and must be cautious not to replace one pandemic with another," the groups said.