Lobby calls for total ban on menthol tobacco products
Smokers on Oginga Odinga street in Eldoret town. A lobby wants minimum smoking age raised from 18 to 21.
What you need to know:
- Group says initiating young people to cigarette smoking early makes it more difficult for them to quit later in life.
- Menthol is a chemical compound added to tobacco products to improve their flavour and taste.
A lobby is calling on the government to ban the production, importation, sale and consumption of mentholated tobacco products.
The move, the group said, will shield young people from getting introduced to cigarette smoking at an early age.
African Centre for Corrective and Preventive Action Executive Director John Macharia said initiating young people to cigarette smoking early makes it more difficult for them to quit later in life.
Mr Macharia said existing regulations only talk about the minimum legal age but silent on mentholated (sweet-flavoured) tobacco products which, he said, increases people’s risk of becoming dependent on nicotine.
Flavour and taste
Menthol is a chemical compound added to tobacco products to improve their flavour and taste.
“The petition’s primary motive is to raise the minimum legal access age of tobacco products from 18 to 21 years as well as consider banning the sale of mentholated tobacco products in Kenya,” said Mr Macharia.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), menthol cigarettes are used more frequently by younger smokers.
Minimum age
Mr Macharia said some of the most abused mentholated cigarettes in Kenya include Dunhill Release and Embassy Fresh.
“Sweet-tasting flavours are particularly appealing to the youth and young adults. Studies have shown that menthol in cigarettes likely leads to people, especially the youth, to experiment with smoking,” he said.
The European Union, United Kingdom, US, Brazil, Chile, Canada, Ethiopia and Turkey are some of the countries and jurisdictions that have legislated against mentholated cigarettes while in Africa, Uganda is one of the nations that have implemented the 21 years minimum age.
Mr Macharia said they are planning to work on a Bill to be forwarded to Parliament after stakeholder engagements.
