The World Health Organisation has been pushing African countries to come up with strict tobacco control laws saying smoking is responsible for the increase in chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes and cancer.
IN SUMMARY
- Cigarette packages and wrappers will instead carry health warnings and pictograms on the front and back.
- The pictogram will be printed in colour, contrasting with the background to ensure visibility, while the health warning messages will be printed in black and white.
- Tobacco companies have criticised the regulation, saying public participation was missing in the formulation process.
Though Kenya is yet to meet all the World Health Organisation recommendations on tobacco control, the country is intensifying its efforts to tighten the noose on tobacco business.
Instead, the packages will carry health warnings and pictograms on the front and back.Recently, the Ministry of Health published the Tobacco Control Regulations, 2014, which will effectively ban cigarette manufacturers, distributors and importers from printing brand names or trademarks on cigarette packages and wrappers from June this year.
“A person shall not manufacture, sell, distribute or import a tobacco product for sale in Kenya, whose packaging carries a name, brand name, text, trademark or pictorials or any representation or sign that suggest that the tobacco product is less harmful to health than other tobacco products,” the regulations said in part.
The pictogram will be printed in colour, contrasting with the background to ensure visibility, while the health warning messages will be printed in black and white.
The health warning message on the front of the package will be printed in English while the one in the back will be in Kiswahili.
The regulations, published by Cabinet Secretary James Macharia, say the health warnings and messages should be printed on both the wrapper and the packet.
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