Kenya: Implement Tobacco Law, Agency Tells State

Source from:  The Star  07/22/2013

THE Kenya Tobacco Control Alliance yesterday urged the government to implement the Tobacco Control Act 2007. Led by the Secretary of the alliance John Inganga, KTCA asked the Cabinet Secretary for Health James Macharia to gazette regulations that will implement the act.

"We urgently ask the government to fund the Tobacco Control Board as required by the Tobacco control Act.The state should declare tobacco use a threat to public health and a disaster in waiting," Inganga said during a press briefing in Nairobi.

The government signed the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control on June , 2004 which led to the enactment of the Tobacco Control Act in May 2007.

Inganaga said the government's failure to implement the Act has exposed Kenyans to the dangers of tobacco. "Tobacco is one of causes of cancer, diabetes, respiratory and cardiovascular conditions," Inganga said.

The alliance said it is concerned that crucial sections of the Act are not being implemented, including section 14 which provide requirements that importers and distributors of tobacco products must adhere to. Enditem