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The Tobacco Control and Health Promotion Alliance now wants the Ministry of Health to effect regulations on the ban of of Nicotine Pouches.
The alliance has blamed the Tobacco companies for dodging Tobacco Control Act restrictions and introducing new products which are attractive to children and adolescents.
TCHPA previously known as KETCA says that the requirements by Kenyan government are too lenient because many countries are banning them.
The British American Tobacco-Kenya alleged that the products are less harmful than products which is contrary to the reality.
They have acknowledged to have a copy of a letter by BAT Managing Director Crispin Achola to Health CS Mutahi Kagwe last month demanding that BAT’s nicotine Pouches be sold freely to Kenyans. BAT wants the pouches be sold with only 10% warning on the packets which is against the 30% of the Front and 50% of the back of the packets.
Addressing the Media today, TCHPA chairman Joel Gitali said they are on the move to ban Online selling of these products as it is where it is currently selling most.
“We have sent many letters to the Cabinet Secretary but he has not been replying to us. Nowadays things are very hard. But we know we will come up with regulations that will ensure the online sale is totally banned,”said Gitali.
He further said that they have been hiding behind the pandemic to go against the Tobacco Control Act.
“the CS has not been very tough on matters tobacco control,”he added.
In October last year, Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe declared the Nicotine products illegally registered by the Pharmacy and Poisons Board.
He further went ahead to advised that Nicotine Pouches be registered as tobacco products under the Tobacco Control Act.
The Alliance has continued to call on the Health CS to stop taking advice from Tobacco Industry. This is because it is against the Tobacco Control Act and the WHO Framework Convention.