Adopt non-nicotine tobacco cessation drugs, Kenya told

Ministry of Health has been advised to add two powerful non-nicotine drugs to Kenya’s Essential Medicines List, to help smokers quit tobacco and nicotine addiction.

The World Health Organization said the two drugs bring “a powerful shift in the fight against the tobacco epidemic.”

The two are Bupropion and varenicline, which are more effective than the current cessation drugs, which contain nicotine.

“The new medicines reduce cravings for nicotine without supplying a nicotine substitute, thereby supporting people in quitting tobacco use and reducing nicotine dependence,” WHO says in a statement.

Last November, the WHO added the two to its biennial Model List of Essential Medicines (EML), a collection of medicines considered essential by WHO experts.

“The addition of these new medicines to the EML is a signal to national authorities, public health professionals, doctors and citizens that additional options are now available to help individuals who wish to quit,” the organization said.

Tobacco use in Kenya kills 9,000 people every year, according to the Kenya Cancer Control Strategy published by the ministry.

Most Kenyans usually quit on their own, but some need medical help.

Smokers who are unable to quit currently are prescribed nicotine-based cessation medicines in health facilities. Those drugs are approved by Pharmacy and Poisons Board and costs are covered by the National Health Insurance Fund.

However, tobacco manufacturing companies have also taken advantage and flooded the Kenyan market with non-medical nicotine pouches, which they –without evidence– claim can help smokers quit.

The Kenya Tobacco Control Alliance says these pouches have brought confusion because they are highly addictive and are proven to harm the brain in adolescents and cause miscarriage.

“It's unfortunate that tobacco companies have started focusing on and producing new products wrongly termed as safer alternatives to tobacco,” KETCA chairman Joel Gitali said.

KETCA is the umbrella body for all tobacco control organizations in Kenya.

He said Kenya should follow the WHO lead and adopt the non-nicotine cessation drugs.

The new medicines reduce cravings for nicotine without supplying a nicotine substitute, thereby supporting people in quitting tobacco use and reducing nicotine dependence.

Clinical studies showed smokers who used varenicline and Bupropion had greater success in quitting and experienced less craving, or withdrawal symptoms, compared to those who used nicotine-based quitting aids.

They were able to quit within seven to 12 weeks.

KETCA National Coordinator Thomas Lindi said nicotine products sold by tobacco companies encourage dual-use and increase the burden of addiction, putting users at risk of other complications.

“On the other hand, the government of Kenya should move with speed and set up the Tobacco Control Fund which will help in jump-starting programmes to educate the public on the dangers of tobacco use and assist in setting cessation programs for those who are addicted,” Lindi said.

The two spoke on Saturday, just after World cancer Day commemorated on February 4.

According to the Ministry of Health, the use of tobacco is the main cause of lung cancer.

It also causes cancer of the larynx (voice box), mouth, oesophagus, throat, kidney, bladder, pancreas, liver, stomach, colon and rectum, and cervix, as well as acute myeloid leukaemia.

Tobacco use is also a risk factor for heart diseases, diabetes, respiratory illnesses and other complications caused by tobacco use.

According to the National Strategic Plan for Prevention and Control of NCDs 21-2026, 2.5 million Kenyans are currently using tobacco.

Currently, the cancer burden in Kenya is growing, with about 47,000 new cases and 33,000 deaths annually. According to the Kenya Cancer Control Strategy, cancer cases in Kenya are expected to rise by 70 per cent over the next two decades.