Tobacco board aims to create smoke-free healthy, generation
Tobacco Control Board (TCB) has called on Kenyans to work towards eradicating use of drugs, which continue to significantly destroy millions of lives and families.
TCB chairperson Nancy Gachoka said that tough action should be taken to rescue the current generation that has been ravaged owing to ignorance that tobacco kills.
Speaking at a media workshop in Machakos county yesterday, Gachoka noted that even as the board looks forward to a tobacco-free generation, the commercial influence has overshadowed calls to have a complete ban on tobacco production.
“We want to welcome all stakeholders to join hands in rescuing as many youths as possible because as soon as they get the first experience they cannot stop by their own will Gachoka,” said.
“Our work is cut out and that is why you have seen a reduction of tobacco around schools. Tobacco companies can no longer sponsor activities because the law does not allow. The law also prohibits smoking in restaurants and in the presence of children,” she added.
The board has since developed a programme with organisations like World Health Organisation, Food and Agriculture Organisation and World Food Programme to move farmers from growing tobacco into food crops.
She stated that in their documentation with WHO, many have drowned in the use of tobacco and since Kenya is bound by an international treaty, it must control tobacco.
Great foundation
“The tobacco control law has a great foundation, and therefore, nobody can say we should delete the tobacco control law because Kenyans are protected by the Constitution. We would like to have a tobacco-free generation,” she said.
Gachoka said that global statistics have shown that the average mean age for starting to smoke is 21 years though it begins earlier in as low as ages of 9 and the numbers have been rising.
Dorcas Kiptui, Head of Tobacco Control in the Ministry of Health regretted that some manufacturers are still using social media platforms to promote cigarettes and other tobacco products despite a ban that was imposed in 2007.
“Tobacco sellers are using social media platforms to circumvent the law that is meant to protect consumers against exposure to harmful promotions,” she said.
