The blog of Jackie Tumwine

Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania budgets raise cigarette taxes

On 13th June 2008, the Finance Ministers of Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania simultaneously read their 2008/ 2009 budget speeches to their respective nations. There was one striking similarity in the three budgets- each of the three East African countries proposed to increase excise duties on cigarettes.

Uganda’s new cigarette tax increase a good move

On 12 June, Uganda’s Finance Minister Ezra Suruma announced in the FY 2008/ 2009 budget speech, an increase in excise duty on cigarettes. The measure will bring in an additional sh2.1b in government revenue.

Ghana: Keeping the Tap On Tobacco Smoking

[Editorial] On Saturday, May 31, Ghana joined the rest of the world to mark World Tobacco Day.
The theme for this year's ceremony was "Tobacco-Free Youth" and was a global call for all countries to put systems in place to protect the fragile and delicate youth from the glamorous and deceptive advertisements of the tobacco companies.

Ghana to pass tobacco law to protect the youth from its harmful effects

Ghana's Deputy Minister of Health, Dr. Gladys Ashitey has announced that her ministry is collaborating with other stakeholders to get the tobacco bill passed into law.

Botswana Minister warns youth against smoking

Botswana's Minister of Youth, Sport and Culture, Ms Gladys Kokorwe, during the country's World No Tobacco Day celebrations, warned youth against smoking and informed them of the tobacco industry's marketing strategies to lure young people into taking up the deadly habit. See story below.

Sierra Leone: 'Ban All Tobacco Advertising Now'

World Health Organization (WHO) has urged governments to protect the world's 1.8 billion young people by imposing a ban on all tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship. On Saturday the world health agency joined local partners among them Youths Against Tobacco Smoking in Sierra Leone to process in observance of the World No Tobacco Day May 31.

Zambia editorial on the new smokefree law

The Times of Zambia published an interesting editorial on Zambia's recent ban on public smoking.

Zambia bans smoking in public places

Zambia has introduced new smokefree regulations that prohibit smoking in public places, with immediate effect. According to the new law, offenders face a maximum fine of K400,000 ($127) and/ or a maximum two year jail term.

Egypt intoduces graphic cigarette warnings

With effect from the 1st of August, cigarette packs in Egypt will feature graphic health warnings, informing smokers of the devastating health effects of smoking. Images will include: a dying man in an oxygen mask, a coughing child, a fetus with a warning of the harm to pregnancy, or a limp cigarette, symbolizing impotence.

Egyptian smokers fume as cigarette tax introduced

Egypt has raised its cigarette taxes by 10 per cent for the local brands and 33 per cent for the imported luxury brands. According to the article below, smokers are fuming.

Uganda-Tobacco control activists demonstrate against cigarette advertising

Tobacco control activists in Uganda, on 30th May, demonstrated against cigarette advertising and the government's reluctance to enforce laws against public smoking.

Uganda: Tobacco Firms Should Be Socially Responsible

Tobacco companies in Uganda should be socially responsible, writes Denis Oguzu in his opinion article published in the New Vision newspaper.

Zambia becomes a party to the framework convention on tobacco control

On 23 May 2008, through the process of accession, Zambia became the latest African party to the WHO Framework Convention (FCTC) .There are currently a total of 157 parties to the WHO FCTC, with 36 of the 46 countries in the WHO AFRO region having either ratified or acceded to this first ever global public health treaty.

Mauritius urges youth not to smoke

Mauritian Health and Quality of Life Minister Sat ish Faugoo has appealed to students and the youth to reduce tobacco use and exposure to tobacco smoke, help people to stop smoking and optimize their resources for the promotion of health and a tobacco-free world.

Uganda urged to increase tobacco taxes

The article below by Uganda’s Daily Monitor columnist Kevin O’Connor makes a strong argument for tobacco tax increases. In short, tobacco kills and impoverishes, however, raising tobacco taxes will increase government revenue while saving lives.

World No Tobacco Day Message of Director General-WHO/AFRO

Below is the message of Dr Luis G. Samba, the WHO Regional Director for Africa on the occasion of World No Tobacco Day May 31, 2008.

Uganda editorial calls for raised taxes on cigarettes

This editorial calling for cigarette tax hikes appeared in Uganda’s Daily Monitor on 31 May, World No Tobacco Day.

Sheraton bans all smoking in hotels

Sheraton's parent company, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. has announced that smoking shall be banned in all hotels in the U.S., Canada & Caribbean. The hotels in the U.S. and Canada are to be completely smoke-free by December 31, 2008. All guest rooms and public areas will be 100% smokefree. The Sheraton hotels and resorts will offer a designated outdoor area for guests who smoke.

Mauritius amends tobacco control law

Mauritius is amending its tobacco control law under the Public Health Act. The regulations ban smoking in public places, tobacco advertising, promotion and advertising; smoking in vehicles where children are present; tobacco sales to minors, tobacco sales via vending machines; sales of cigarettes sold other than in a package containing 20 cigarettes and sales of cigarettes in a package which is obscured in whole or in part.

Editorial: Nigerian Government's Tobacco Initiative

An interesting editorial in this week's Nigerian Tribune highlights the recent tobacco control efforts by the Nigerian Federal Government and the rationale.

Tobacco Companies Sued for Violating Tobacco Control Law in Niger

Two tobacco companies, BAT– Niger and Sitab are before the courts of Niger for violating the country’s tobacco control law. The law ( la loi N°26 du 15 mai 2006 )came into force in May 2006 and aims to protect the health of people in Niger from the devastating effects of tobacco consumption.

Nigerian Government Plans to Chase Tobacco Firms Out

This article by Elizabeth Dickinson, published on AllAfrica.com, gives an overview of the Nigerian Government’s firm efforts against the lethal tobacco industry including the law suit against the international tobacco companies, plans to ban smoking in public places in the Federal Capital territory, stricter regulations on tobacco products, and a proposed law preventing tobacco companies from entering the market.

Nigerian government rejects installation of a foreign tobacco firm

The Nigerian Federal Government reaffirmed its recent firm stand against the tobacco industry by rejecting an application of a foreign company to set up a N9.6 trillion (80 million USD) tobacco manufacturing plant in Osun State.

Nigeria adjourns $44 bln tobacco lawsuit to March

A Nigerian court adjourned on Monday the government's 5.3 trillion naira lawsuit against three tobacco firms until March to enable the prosecution to serve court papers on one of the defendants. Nigeria is seeking the sum, which is larger than its annual budget, in damages for public health costs for treating smoking-related diseases.

Nigeria: Stop Tobacco Subsidy, CAT Urges Govt

The Coalition Against Tobacco (CAT) has stated that the truth about tobacco companies operations in Nigeria is that they are being subsidised by our own government. It said tobacco companies have closed down their operations in Ghana and Mali,but noted that they are scaling up their operations in Nigeria.

Morocco launches campaign on tobacco induced respiratory diseases

Morocco’s first awareness campaign on tobacco-induced respiratory diseases was launched Tuesday under the theme "panting but not abandoned".

Ghana:Justice Crabbe wins WHO tobacco control award

Mr. Justice V.C.R.A.C. Crabbe, Commissioner of Statute Law Revision, Attorney General's Department was on Monday awarded with a special prize and certificate by the World Health Organisation (WHO), African Regional Office for his contribution towards tobacco control.

Ghana: Clinicians urged to research more into smoking, alcohol abuse

Clinicians in Africa and developing countries must build a database on smoking, alcohol and substance abuse through research to enable them to inform and advise policy makers on the appropriate strategy required to curb the menace.

Source: Joy Online (Ghana)

Mozambique bans public smoking and tobacco advertising

Mozambique ushered in the month of December 2007 with a new tobacco control law, reports Dr. Francisco Cabo over at his blog. The new decree bans smoking in indoor public places including educational institutions, restaurant and bars and all public means of transport. The new law also bans tobacco advertising in print and electronic media as well as on billboards, walls, subways and transport terminals.

BAT Nigeria Foundation: Five Years of Marketing Death

The tobacco industry has long exploited Corporate Social Responsibilty Schemes (CSR) to market its killer products, prevent unwanted tobacco regulation and divert everyone’s attention from the devastating health, environmental, economic and social effects of tobacco. The British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation (BATN Foundation) has been doing that for five years in Nigeria.

‘Nigeria is better off without tobacco companies’

The following is Akinbode Oluwafemi's detailed interview published in the Nigerian newspaper, The Nation. Akinbode Oluwafemi is a leading Nigerian tobacco control advocate and heads the Environmental Rights Action / Friends of the Earth, (ERA/FoEN)

Nigeria: Smoking troubles for tobacco companies

The British American Tobacco company Nigeria Limited (BATN), is fighting the battle to save its business as four Nigerian states, the Federal government and anti tobacco activists take them to task.

Gambia Holds National Consultative Forum on FCTC

"Tobacco has been a subject of intensive debate on the international health agenda for quite too long" says Dr. Nestor Shivute, the World Health Organisation Representative to the Gambia. Dr. Shivute made this remark at a one-day national consultative workshop on the WHO framework convention on tobacco control organised by the African Network for Information and Action against Drugs (RAID).

Guinea ratifies Framework Convention on Tobacco Control

Guinea became the 168th country to ratify the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) on 7th November 2007. The number of Parties from Africa (WHO AFRO region) to this frist global health treaty is rising steadily.

Currently 35 of 46 countries in the AFRO region have ratified the FCTC. They include:

Tobacco Free Schools and Companies Project launched in Morocco

A large-scale tobacco control project themed ‘Tobacco-free Schools and Companies’ has been launched in Morocco on 28th November 2007. The project is sponsored by Association Lalla Salma de lutte contre le Cancer (ALSC) and aims to prevent cancers caused by tobacco. Another aim of the project is to increase knowledge of the health hazards of tobacco.

South Africa: Drive to Stub Out Smoking Among the Youth

Two approaches to convince teenagers to quit smoking and prevent others from starting appear twice as effective as the government's curriculum for teaching life skills, a study has found.

South Africa: Education Important to Show Smoking Risks

Education is becoming more important in showing youths the risks of smoking, says South African Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang.

Botswana: 'Smoking is dangerous', says man with chronic affliction

The Botswana publication, Mmegi featured a story of a man suffering from smoking related Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and is on an oxygen concentrator machine on a 24-hour basis.

More than 20% of Youth in Benin Smoke Tobacco

According to a recent global youth tobacco survey report, more than twenty percent of school children (aged 13 to 15 years) in Benin are cigarette smokers. The survey involved about 50 schools selected in four regions of Benin, namely Atlantique and Littoral (located in the South) as well as Bogue and Alibori (located in North).

Tobacco deaths rising in 'poor' countries

Twenty years from now, tobacco-related diseases will be implicated in 9% of deaths worldwide, with the majority occurring in lower-income countries. Already two-thirds of smokers live in 15 low- and middle-income nations.

Addressing the World Conference on Lung Health in Cape Town last week, Judith Mackay of the World Lung Foundation said communicable diseases -- those that spread from person to person -- receive attention, money and support lacking in the case of non-communicable diseases such as those caused by smoking.

Global tobacco burden 'to get much worse'

The global burden of tobacco is going to get much worse before it gets better, an expert from the World Lung Foundation said in Cape Town on Friday [09 Nov].

Smoking may be adding to global TB burden: research

CAPE TOWN (AFP) — Smoking may be responsible for up to a fifth of tuberculosis (TB) infections and deaths world-wide, according to research presented at a global lung health conference in Cape Town on Friday[09 Nov].

BATN donates trucks to the Nigeria Customs Service

British American Tobacco Nigeria' s donation of trucks to the Nigeria Customs Service is the latest 'CSR' attempt to salvage the tobacco company's negative image and also a ploy to undermine efforts to combat illicit trade which is perpertrated by the tobacco companies themselves.

Nigeria:Federal Government may ban tobacco companies soon

Worried about the hazardous effects of smoking and tobacco consumption on the society, the Federal Government is making moves to initiate the outright ban of smoking which may likely mark an end for tobacco