By Eddah Waithaka
Delays to the Senate’s Tobacco Control Amendment Bill 2024 are fueling regulatory uncertainty around smokeless nicotine products and spreading misinformation about their potential to reduce tobacco-related harm, the Harm Reduction Society warns on World Vape Day.
The bill, first published in July 2024, aims to establish a legal framework for smokeless nicotine products, which remain unregulated in Kenya.
However, prolonged legislative inaction has left consumers vulnerable to misleading claims about the risks and benefits of alternatives like vapes.
“Vapes have existed for 20 years, yet Kenya still lacks basic laws to prevent their sale to minors,” said Dr. Michael Kariuki, Secretary-General of the Harm Reduction Society.
“While the bill isn’t perfect, we must break this deadlock and advance a regulatory structure for safer nicotine alternatives.”
He warned that misinformation is discouraging smokers from switching to reduced-risk products, delaying progress in curbing tobacco-related deaths.
“Smokers deserve clear facts about smokeless nicotine products versus cigarettes. Accelerating this bill is the only way to provide that clarity.”
Countries with balanced nicotine regulations, such as the UK, Sweden, and New Zealand, have seen smoking rates plummet.
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In England alone, vaping helped 3 million smokers quit in the past five years. A landmark Cochrane study of 29,000 smokers also found vapes more effective than patches or gum for long-term quitting, a fact backed by the World Health Organization’s essential medicines list.
Yet in Kenya, 12,000 people die annually from tobacco-related diseases. “We must prioritize helping smokers quit for good,” said Dr. Kariuki.
“Evidence proves nicotine alternatives save lives. Further delays cost Kenyan lives every day.”
Sweden and New Zealand, which regulate smokeless nicotine products strictly but keep them accessible, now boast some of the world’s lowest smoking rates.
“On World Vape Day, the debate should be over,” Dr. Kariuki concluded. “Kenya needs balanced laws that protect minors while giving adult smokers the tools to quit deadly tobacco use.”
As delays persist, advocates urge lawmakers to act swiftly, before more lives are lost to preventable disease.
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