BAT Kenya Advocates for Sustainable Regulation on Tobacco Products

According to a report by The Star on May 30, on special days like World E-cigarette Day and World No Tobacco Day on May 31, British American Tobacco Kenya (BAT Kenya) has called for sustainable regulation of smokeless nicotine and tobacco products, hoping that Kenya can move towards a smoke-free future.

According to a statement released by British American Tobacco on Thursday, over one billion people globally continue to smoke despite facing serious health risks. In response, British American Tobacco points out that population modeling studies suggest that encouraging smokers to switch to lower-risk alternatives can greatly reduce the occurrence of smoking-related diseases.

In order to achieve the above goals, the company proposed the need for strict regulation of smokeless nicotine and tobacco products to protect consumers from inferior products. At the same time, strict measures were also proposed to prevent minors from accessing and using nicotine products.

According to tobacco companies, the wide availability and usability of smokeless alternatives are important factors in the rapid decline of smoking rates in some countries, particularly the UK, US, and Japan, where smoking rates have reached historic lows.

Tashanya Okola, the Head of External Affairs for British American Tobacco Kenya, believes that smoke-free alternatives to cigarettes are crucial for supporting the government's public health agenda in East and Southern Africa. She stated that the company will engage in transparent dialogue and discuss appropriate regulatory measures.

She emphasized that smokers who transition to using smokeless tobacco and nicotine products have a profound impact on national and global public health efforts to reduce smoking rates. Tashnya Okola pointed out that misconceptions about the relative risks of smokeless products compared to smoking can hinder smokers from making the switch. She believes that harmful substances produced by the combustion of tobacco are the primary sources of harm associated with smoking.

Ocola reiterated that the company strongly opposes the use of nicotine products by minors and has implemented strict regulations to prevent sales to minors. Furthermore, the company only targets adult nicotine consumers in its market research.