NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 1 – Kenya Tobacco Control Alliance (KETCA) has petitioned the Ministry of Health to uphold the ban on nicotine pouches including Lyft which is considered highly addictive.
Health Cabinet Secretary had on October 2020 declared the registration of the Lyft nicotine pouches in Kenya illegal directing the Pharmacy and Poisons Board to deregister them but later allowed sale of the products on condition that they are registered as tobacco products.
Talks to review the ban with the aim of rescinding it are ongoing.
The alliance’s country coordinator Thomas Lindi, in a statement issued on Saturday, demanded an investigation on why the ministry revoked the ban contrary to its initial findings that the product did not meet the descriptions of a pharmaceutical drug.
“In 2019 the pouches were illegally registered as medicines and we were happy when the CS decided to ban the sale of products, however, we are shocked that the ministry has allowed the tobacco industry to sale these harmful products in Kenya,” he said.
Mindi noted that by revoking the ban, government will be creating a leeway for entry of other harmful drugs into the country.
“If the government allows these products, it will also be opening a flood gate of other harmful products to flood the Kenyan market, claims by the tobacco industry that the pouches are ham reducing agents is extremely misleading and creates a false perception of safety,” a statement issued by KETCA noted.
Citing a National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) report which noted that children as young as 5 years old were getting addicted to drugs, the alliance noted that such products are highly addictive and harmful to health.
“The industry’s reckless pursuit for more profits has no respect for human life, they continue preying on young people by introducing and promoting flavoured pouches that will turn the youths into zombies,” the statement read in part.
Lyft is a nicotine pouch marketed by British American Tobacco (BAT-Kenya) as an alternative to cigarettes for addicted smokers. BAT says the product does not contain Tobacco whilst the nicotine contained is industry leading in respect of both purity and grade.
The nicotine pouch has fast gained popularity among young people since being introduced in the market late in 2019.
Many users say it gives a feeling of being high in a very short span.
