Campaign for Safer Alternatives (CASA) chairman Joseph Magero/ HANDOUTA proposed ban on flavoured nicotine pouches and vapes could undermine efforts to move Kenyan smokers away from combustible cigarettes, with a new consumer survey warning that some users may return to smoking if the products become less appealing.
The survey by the Campaign for Safer Alternatives (CASA) found that half of respondents who use nicotine pouches and vapes said the products were helping them quit smoking, while 47 per cent said they used them because they considered them a less harmful alternative to cigarettes.
The findings come as Parliament considers the Tobacco Control (Amendment) Bill, which proposes sweeping new restrictions on smoke-free nicotine products, including a ban on most flavours.
For the nicotine industry and businesses operating in the emerging smoke-free products market, the proposed restrictions could reshape consumer demand, distribution channels and the wider market for alternatives to conventional cigarettes.
Joseph Magero, chairman of CASA, said policymakers should consider the potential economic and public-health consequences of restricting products that some smokers are using to reduce their cigarette consumption.
“Our dramatic findings show that the proposed legislation would make it harder for smokers to quit combustible cigarettes,” Magero said.
“Instead of prioritising ideology, lawmakers must listen to the voices of smokers who are desperate to quit their deadly habit.”
The survey places particular emphasis on flavours, which consumers said play an important role in helping them move away from cigarettes.
Half of respondents said flavours helped them stay off cigarettes entirely, while 43 per cent said flavours helped them reduce the number of cigarettes they smoked.
Only 14 per cent identified tobacco flavour as their preferred option, with most consumers choosing menthol, fruit and other non-tobacco flavours.
The potential impact of a flavour ban is reflected in respondents' stated behaviour. About 32 per cent said they would return to smoking cigarettes if flavoured nicotine products were banned.
A further 18 per cent said they would smoke more, while 33 per cent said they would look for flavoured nicotine products through alternative sources.
The findings raise concerns over the possibility that restrictions could shift some consumer demand away from regulated businesses and towards informal or unregulated channels.
For legitimate manufacturers, importers, retailers and distributors, such a shift could create additional compliance and enforcement challenges while potentially reducing the size of the formal market.
Magero said the survey should serve as a warning to lawmakers considering changes to Kenya's tobacco-control framework.
“Thousands of Kenyan smokers are using safer nicotine products because they want to leave cigarettes behind,” he said.
“Half of respondents say these products are helping them quit smoking, while many others are using them to smoke less. Parliament should build on that progress, not put it at risk.”
He said removing flavours could make cigarettes comparatively more attractive to consumers seeking alternatives.
“When half of respondents tell us flavours help them stay off cigarettes entirely, policymakers should pay attention,” Magero said.
“These products are competing with cigarettes. Making them less appealing could make cigarettes more appealing again.”
The survey also found strong support for greater public participation in the legislative process.
About 88 per cent of respondents said the government should conduct public consultations on the Tobacco Control Bill, while a similar proportion said the concerns of smokers and nicotine-product users were being ignored.
An overwhelming 89 per cent said policymakers should focus on helping smokers quit rather than banning flavoured nicotine pouches.
Magero urged Parliament to ensure consumers and businesses are heard before the proposed amendments become law.
“Close to nine out of ten respondents want the government to listen before changing the law,” he said.
“These are the people living with the consequences of smoking and trying to quit. Their voices deserve to be part of this debate.”
The debate highlights the difficult balance facing policymakers as Kenya seeks to strengthen tobacco control while dealing with the growth of newer nicotine products.
Traditional cigarette sales generate significant tax revenues for governments, while the expansion of alternative nicotine products has created a new commercial segment involving manufacturers, importers, wholesalers, retailers and other players.
A major policy concern will therefore be whether tighter regulation succeeds in reducing overall nicotine consumption or instead pushes consumers towards conventional cigarettes or informal markets.
CASA describes itself as a Pan-African non-governmental organisation working towards smoke-free environments across Africa. It brings together consumer organisations advocating tobacco harm reduction and promotes discussion and information exchange on approaches to reducing tobacco-related harm.
The survey's findings are likely to intensify debate around the proposed legislation, particularly over whether restrictions on flavours should be accompanied by broader measures to support smokers seeking to quit.
For businesses in the nicotine and tobacco sectors, the outcome could determine the future structure of Kenya's rapidly evolving nicotine market, including which products can be legally manufactured, imported, distributed and sold.
At the centre of the debate is whether regulation should primarily seek to eliminate nicotine-product use altogether or differentiate between combustible cigarettes and newer products that consumers use as alternatives.
