Health Ministry suspends all Nicotine product licenses in major crackdown

The Ministry of Health has suspended all licences for nicotine-related products, directing importers, manufacturers, distributors and marketers to reapply within 21 days.

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said the move aims to reduce tobacco and nicotine usage in the country.

Speaking in Eldoret during the burning of over five tonnes of seized tobacco and nicotine products seized through the Eldoret International Airport since 2021, Duale warned that the products have become a serious menace in society with data now indicating younger children were consuming the products.

CS Duale has also signed a gazette notice introducing 17 new graphic images that will be on tobacco and nicotine products to act as deterrents for users.

According to public health and professional standards PS the country’s tobacco and nicotine prevalence stands at 8.5% with children aged between 10-17 being now affected.

PS Muthoni also noting that about 650,000 youth, aged 15-24, who are of high school and university going age, are now turning to flavoured products under the guise of their being less harmful, not knowing there is no difference.

The Tobacco Control Board, through its chair former MP Naomi Shaban, also raised alarm over an increasing trend where children as young as six years are now using nicotine and tobacco products as she points an accusing finger at tobacco industries for flavouring their products with sweeteners to attract the young

This year’s World No Tobacco Day was marked in Eldoret under the theme “Unmasking the Appeal: Exposing Industry Tactics on Tobacco and Nicotine Products” with stakeholders calling for a total ban or higher taxation of the products to make them less accessible, especially to the youth.