Kenya's @BloombergDotOrg-funded zealots are among the most alarmist in Africa, screaming "teen nicotine addiction"!!!
But only:
2.5% of Kenyans age 10-17 use ANY nicotine product "at least one time in the past 30 days"
0.5% use daily (20% of 2.5%)
https://t.co/uIJ29UjKNS
We can protect young people from nicotine while also helping adult smokers move away from deadly cigarettes. Smart regulation, not prohibition, can reduce smoking-related deaths and give millions of adults access to less harmful alternatives @NAssemblyKE@Senate_KE@cathymumma
Young people should not use nicotine, and every effort must be made to prevent youth uptake. Smoking kills, but adults who cannot quit nicotine deserve access to safer alternatives that can help save lives #Nicotine#TobaccoControl#HarmReduction#THR
Nicotine is addictive, but it is not the primary cause of smoking-related cancers. The overwhelming harm comes from the toxic chemicals produced by burning tobacco. Evidence-based policies should distinguish between combustible cigarettes and lower-risk nicotine alternatives.
As countries around the world embrace tobacco harm reduction and see smoking rates fall, African policymakers must not be left behind. Science, not fear, should guide regulation 🚭#TobaccoHarmReduction #PublicHealthAfrica
Up to 12,000 Kenyans die from smoking-related diseases every year. Flavoured safer nicotine products can help adult smokers move away from deadly combustible cigarettes by offering appealing alternatives to tobacco flavours @NAssemblyKE@Senate_KE@cathymumma@JunetMohamed
Why do adults need flavours in safer nicotine products?
Many smokers trying to quit don’t want tobacco taste. Flavours help break the link with cigarettes. They’re key to becoming smoke-free
Every year, about 12,000 Kenyans die from smoking-related illnesses. That's 12,000 parents, siblings, spouses, colleagues and friends lost to a habit that remains one of the country's biggest preventable killers.
Yet a new global report shows Kenya is falling behind much of Africa in helping smokers move away from cigarettes. #WorldNoTobaccoDay2026
What if the path to a tobacco-free future isn't just about stopping smoking, but helping smokers move away from cigarettes ?
Around the world, policymakers and health experts are debating how innovation & harm reduction can support that transition.
#WorldNoTobaccoDay2026
This World No Tobacco Day, the route to a smoke-free future is clear:
Responsible regulation that protects youth while keeping safer alternatives available to adults #WorldNoTobaccoDay#WNTD#WNTD26
Happy #WorldVapeDay! The evidence is impossible to ignore: countries that embrace safer nicotine alternatives are driving smoking rates to historic lows. If the goal is to reduce smoking-related disease and death, tobacco harm reduction must be part of the solution🚭 #WNTD #WorldNoTobaccoDay #UnmaskTheAppeal
Flavours are also one of the main reasons adult smokers successfully move away from cigarettes. Studies consistently show that adults who use non-tobacco flavours are more likely to quit smoking than those limited to tobacco flavour alone #UnmaskTheAppealKe#Unmasktheappeal
Are current tobacco control policies truly tailored to African realities, or are they simply borrowed from elsewhere and imposed without regard for local feasibility? https://t.co/GPkxY3Hyaz #WNTD#WVD#WorldVapeDay#WorldNoTobaccoDay#WNTD26
“Governments can make efforts to decrease youth use and enforce robust age verification systems while still allowing adult smokers access to regulated lower-risk alternatives.This is not a contradiction. It is what evidence-based regulation looks like.”
As Africa marks World No Tobacco Day, calls are growing for tobacco control policies that go beyond prohibition and embrace harm reduction, safer nicotine alternatives, and evidence-based public health solutions tailored to African realities.
Read the full opinion piece on the link below:
https://t.co/NWpSLMpqaI
@THRKenya@THRNigeria@GoingSmokefree@Josephmagero
Stakeholders are now calling for wider public participation on the Tobacco Control (Amendment) Bill, arguing that regulations with major economic and social impact require broader consultation before implementation.
Will the @NAssemblyKE listen?
#TobaccoBill2024