THE majority of smokers in Kenya want to use harm reduction products, such as nicotine pouches or vapes/e-cigarettes to help them quit, according to a new consumer survey launched by Campaign for Safer Alternatives (CASA) at a conference this afternoon in Nairobi.
The conference which was titled “Oral Nicotine Pouches: A Gateway to a smoke-free Africa?” was hosted by CASA in conjunction with the African Harm Reduction Alliance (AHRA). The panel discussions included experts from the global medical community, who debated the effectiveness and risk profile of tobacco-free nicotine alternatives and their role in reducing Kenyan smoking rates.
More than two-thirds of the 200 plus smokers and nicotine product users surveyed said they wanted to quit smoking. However, nearly three in four found nicotine pouches and vapes too expensive or difficult to get hold of, preventing many from using their preferred quitting method.
Commenting on the report, CASA Chairman Joseph Magero said, “We need a regulatory system that ensures nicotine pouches and vapes/e-cigarettes remain affordable and accessible for adult smokers. Instead of adopting a dogmatic, unscientific stance against tobacco-free alternatives, Kenya should be embracing it as an exciting opportunity to prevent smoking-related deaths.”
Researchers from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Nairobi gave a detailed presentation on the risks of tobacco-free nicotine products, which according to their data is significantly lower than other traditional tobacco and oral stimulants.
“In countries such as Sweden, the high use of nicotine pouches is responsible for their low oral cancer and other cancers risk. These products are comparable in risk profile to traditional nicotine replacement therapies and expose users to far fewer toxicants than tobacco, kaht or gutka products,” commented Dr Michael Kariuki, lead researcher of the report.
The experts expressed concern at the lack of support for alternative nicotine products in Kenya despite the scientific evidence showing that they do not expose users to the leading causes of smoking-related death.
Dr Kgosi Letlape, President of AHRA said: “Most of the harm caused by cigarettes is from the burning of tobacco. Alternative products don’t contain tobacco, so you don’t have that harm. Kenya must separate the regulation of cigarettes from tobacco-free alternatives otherwise it will continue to miss out on the opportunity to save smokers’ lives.”
During the conference, leading global health advocate, Dr Derek Yach also presented research on the opportunities to maximise the benefits of tobacco harm reduction and the impacts of nicotine pouches on smoking rates worldwide.
Renowned anti-tobacco campaigner Clive Bates and Aishat Alaran, Board member of the Campaign for Safer Alternatives also joined the panel discussion on why Africa is lagging behind with regards to innovative technologies to reduce smoking rates and smoking-related diseases.
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