In spite of the cigarette packaging loudly stating that smoking of cigarettes is harmful to one’s health, most users go ahead to buy and smoke their health away. Like walking the pier on one’s last lap to the cliff where they are ready to jump off to their death! Despite the clear message and being run all over, still tobacco users, especially cigarettes smokers nonchalantly indulge some exposing the people around them to the effects of secondary smoke with adverse health effects like respiratory infections.
“Do you know 12,000 individuals die from tobacco smoking each year?” I ask Tom (not his real name). He looks at me, his face livid, conflicting emotions competing, mild horror, some disbelief and a shot of wonder! For a millisecond, as he brushes them off and replaces them with nonchalance. He waves his hand dismissively, “We are all going to die at some point!” He states flatly. While I want to concur with his sentiments, I remind him that even before death, tobacco smokers’ quality of life is not bankable.
“Tobacco smoking is a risk factor for numerous disease e.g. chronic respiratory and cardiovascular diseases; various cancers and diabetes.” I listed the diseases to him. Now this catches him off-guard and he readily accepts.
Tom shares his story how he started smoking while still a teenager. At first it was to fit in with his rogue friends but he got hooked and he ended up an ardent smoker. He however laments that he had to reluctantly reduce his usage due to the increase of the prices. “There is a time I would smoke even an entire pack in a day. That is like 20 cigarettes! Back then one used to be three shillings only. With KES 60, I had my packet. Then they increased the price to KES 5 per stick, I had to tone down, since I could not inc5rease my budget what with my other duties waiting my meager daily wage.” His demeanor shifts showing his nostalgia giving way to resentment, “Now, the cheapest is KES 15, with the KES 60, I can only do 4 – even if I dedicate KES 100, I can’t match what I used to smoke.”
Tom’s story reflects the statistics; ‘between 2014 – 2022 the prevalence of cigarettes smoking among men aged 15- 49 years dropped from 15.8% to 9.3%. Yet for women the case was contrary to that of men, the prevalence increased from 0.4% to 0.7%.
National agencies (like NACADA), Non-governmental organizations, community based organizations like the Den of Hope Youth Group have been on the fore front to advocate and lobby for the taxes of tobacco products to be hiked. The increased prices, it will be like killing two birds with one stone, that is, smokers will have to reduce their daily intake due to the higher prices and the collected taxes will be reinvested in public health and other initiatives. Increase in taxes of tobacco products is an effective strategy to reduce tobacco consumption, particularly among price-sensitive groups like youth and low income individuals. Consequently, this will reduce overall consumption.
It is urgent for everyone to be on-board in advocating for hiking tobacco taxes. This is because tobacco users cut across all demographics. Although the younger people are more susceptible to its using with innovative mediums introduced in the market, tobacco is used widely. Eleven out of 47 counties have a prevalence of 10%. As shared by Tom, most users start using while still young. Martina (not her real name) confirmed that she also started when she was young out of curiosity. What started innocently out of curiosity has become a tough habit to get rid of. She recognizes that the strategy of increasing taxes has proven fruitful since she also had to reduce her daily intake due to the hiked prices.
Moreover, tobacco smoking imposes significant economic costs on Kenya health system and economy. Individually and family level, it does not only result in disability in some but also accounts for 39% of all deaths annually. As forces merge to agitate for increase in taxes on tobacco products as measure reducing their consumption, it is interesting to note that ‘for every $1 earned from tobacco industry, the Kenyan economy loses $ 2.2 -3. Therefore, more taxes does not only suffice as penance for a highly detrimental product but also attempts to reconcile the damage left behind by the extra revenue generated being reinvested in public health.
