Wellness & Fitness

WHO proposes 42pc cigarette price increase

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WHO in its latest report on the costs of smoking measured on the effects on family and disease said a higher excise tax would push cigarette retail prices from Sh220 to about Sh315 in supermarkets. PHOTO | BD GRAPHIC

An increase of cigarette tax by about Sh80 per pack will be the most effective way to encourage users to quit and prevent children from starting to smoke, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said.

WHO in its latest report on the costs of smoking measured on the effects on family and disease said a higher excise tax would push cigarette retail prices from Sh220 to about Sh315 in supermarkets.

In Kenya, tobacco products are charged a flat duty of Sh2,500 per 1,000 sticks and a higher tax would boost revenues which have been growing over the years.

WHO’s move comes as anti-smoking groups launch fresh campaigns for the full implementation of the tobacco law, saying that public health benefits surpass gains for cigarette makers.

Manufacturers have protested the tough smoking laws which include controlled advertising and gory health warnings on packages, saying that they will dent revenues and rob farmers of their economic livelihood.

But the WHO notes that control does not harm economies as the number of jobs dependent on tobacco has been falling in most countries, largely due to technological innovation and privatisation.

Also, only a few farmers depend on tobacco farming as source of livelihood and they can easily switch to alternative crops. The International Institute for Legislative Affairs, a public policy think-tank, in a report on The Economics of Tobacco Farming in Kenya said opponents continue to cite harm to farmers as a reason to curtail health efforts.

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PHOTO | BD GRAPHIC

The researchers argue that there are nearly 600 smallholder tobacco farmers in Kenya and ‘‘many are making only minimal profits when the non-labour inputs are subtracted from the sales of their tobacco leaf.’’

The Kenya Tobacco Control Alliance is among lobby groups petitioning the government to add taxes and help tobacco farmers find alternative crops. ‘‘A higher tax is one of the ways that will make smokers quit the habit,’’ said Thomas Lindi, a co-ordinator at the organisation.

The lobby group, in partnership with Kenya Tobacco Growers Association, is encouraging farmers to plant alternative high-yielding crops such as tomatoes and maize with plans to introduce cotton.

READ: Tobacco control lobbies petition Health ministry on stringent application of the law

Globally, countries are striving to reduce demand of cigarettes which contribute to six million deaths globally. About 5.1 million Kenyans smoke tobacco while 6,000 die every year of tobacco-related diseases.

But even as domestic cigarette volumes decline, more young Kenyans are taking up cigar, shisha smoking and use of extracts and essences. 

Dr Oleg Chestnov, the WHO assistant director-general for non-communicable diseases and mental health, said the tobacco industry produces and markets products that kill millions of people prematurely and costs the world economy $1 trillion per year.

‘‘It robs households of finances that could have been used for food and education, and impose immense healthcare costs on families, communities and countries,” he said.