The Kenya Tobacco Control Alliance (KETCA) now wants the government not to license an array of nicotine based products set to be introduced in the country.

The group claims the company manufacturing the products is yet to publicly produce adequate evidence to show the nicotine pouches are a less risky alternative to cigarettes.

Last week, a cigarette manufacturer operating in the country announced that it will introduce tobacco-free nicotine pouches aimed at reducing the risks associated with passive smoking.

Nicotine pouch is a non-tobacco, whitish product that users place under their lip and the nicotine is then absorbed through their gum.

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However, according to KETCA, the products have not been endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO) especially for smoking cessation, while arguing that these products should be subject to policies that have been proven effective in reducing tobacco use.

Speaking Monday during a media briefing in response to a planned launch of smoke-free cigarettes and nicotine delivery products by the tobacco industry in Kenya, KETCA chairman Joel Gitali said the products being introduced and which are being presented as alternatives are however complementary to the use of conventional tobacco products.

“The possibility of tobacco industry interference in tobacco cessation efforts through misinformation about the potential benefits of these products is a real threat,” he said.

He urged the government to ensure the right measures are in place to curb these products which he noted might even influence the youth into partaking them.“Introducing these products in the market should be a real concern on the risk they pose to non-smokers who start to use them especially the young people”, Gitali added.

KETCA National Coordinator Thomas Lindi said despite the Country and indeed the world struggling to control the burden of cancers and the growing burden of Non Communicable Diseases (NDCs), BAT claims that the nicotine pouch has reduced risks compared to cigarettes has not publicly produced adequate data to show the new products are a less risky alternative.

“Why should Kenyans be subjected to harmful products merely because they are less harmful? The possibility of tobacco industry interference in tobacco cessation efforts and their misinformation about the benefits of the products should be a concern,” reiterated Lindi.

He explained that rampant oesophagal cancer kills nearly everyone who contracts it in Kenya and cigarette smoking is an important risk factor for this type of cancer.

“Even with the decline of tobacco products from nine percent in 2012 to 8 percent in 2017, there are still about 2.2 million Kenyans still using tobacco products”, he said.

Lindi noted that unlike the tried and tested nicotine and non-nicotine pharmacotherapies that are known to help people quit tobacco use, WHO does not endorse the e-cigarettes as cessation aids, thus government should not allow the products in the market.

Emma Wanyonyi, CEO of the Institute for Legislative Affairs said that the planned launch of smoke-free cigarettes and nicotine delivery products by the tobacco industry in Kenya such as the snus, another smokeless , nicotine delivery product that contains higher amounts of arsenic, cadmium and nicotine found in some of BATs smokeless products and found by the US food and Drugs administration to have extremely harmful chemicals, should be worrying considering the exposure to carcinogens and other toxicants may increase the risk for cancer, heart disease and reproductive effects.

“The products that BAT wants to introduce have nicotine and no studies have been done to show us otherwise,” she said, noting that most Kenyans are struggling with cigarette smoking and now with the introduction of the e-cigarettes, it will be a gateway for even hard drugs.

BAT says the pouches do not produce harmful smoke because they heat, not burn, allowing tobacco sticks to generate a vapor that contains nicotine.

Meanwhile, according to WHO report on the global Tobacco Epidemic 2019 released on Friday last week, countries were called upon to step up tobacco cessation services saying that only 23 of them have implemented cessation support policies at the highest level.

WHO further said that it does not endorse products for smoking cessation and that if there are any, they should be subjected to policies that have proven effective in reducing tobacco use including plain packaging and bans on flavourings.

Last week, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) of Kenya that is based at the Ministry of Health released a report showing the growing cancer burden in the country. According to NCI Ag. CEO Dr. Alfred Karagu, cancer kills over 33,000 Kenyans every year with the leading being oesophagal cancer which affects 4,380 people annually and at least 4,351 dying every year while the remaining 29 who survive live with crippling post-operative complications.

Kenya became a party to the WHO framework Convention on Tobacco Control on February 27, 2005 and because of this over the years, it has made important steps in reducing the burden of cancer by helping thousands of people quit tobacco and other nicotine-based products that cause harm.