Kenya makes progress in reducing smoking, but progress is slow

A Lower Proportion of Kenyans Use Tobacco Products, But Progress in the last six years been slow, reveals a Nation Newsplex review data on the use of tobacco. This is despite the high taxes and laws that prohibit the sale of bulk cigarettes and public advertising of products.

The number of Kenyans over the age of 15 who use tobacco products – cigarettes and cigars, hand-rolled cigarettes, pipes, shisha snuff, tobacco mache and kuber – fell slightly from nine percent in 2012 to eight percent in 2017, shows a National Authority for the campaign against alcohol and drug abuse (Nacada) study. This means that about 2.2 million Kenyans use tobacco products, two-thirds of which smoke cigarettes.

Only 7% of smokers who attempt to quit in Kenya succeed.

At the same time, there is an increase in the consumption of cigarettes and cigars. According to Statistical Abstract 2017 the use of cigarettes and cigars jumped by more than two-thirds, from 6.7 billion sticks in 2012 to 11.3 billion in 2016.

Cigarette smoking is the number one risk factor for lung cancer. In Kenya, it is linked to more than 70 percent of lung cancers, according to national guidelines for cancer management. It also causes cancer in almost all parts of the body and cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease and stroke.

When considering age, one in eight adults aged 36 to 65 uses tobacco products. between 15 and 35.

Progress in kicking the habit is uneven. Tobacco use increased by two points among people over 35, from 11% in 2012 to 13% in 2017, according to Nacada. But in a positive trend, smoking declined by three points among 25 to 35 year olds, from 10% in 2012 to 7% in 2017. A similar decline was observed among 15-24 year olds. years. Most smokers start young and struggle to quit. The decline in youth smoking gives a glimmer of hope that the anti-tobacco campaign can succeed

Data from a study by the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) of 2015 show that the average age of smokers is 21 years old. 19659005] Mr. Francis Kioko has been smoking since the age of 15. "We grow tobacco in Kitui County, so my first meeting was to roll the dried leaves on a piece of paper and smoke. Arriving in town, I am "graduated" in cigarettes. "He pbades Sh32 every day on his favorite brand of cigarettes, which goes for Sh8 a stick.This translates to Sh960 a month." I smoke four cigarettes a day. One during the lunch break and three in the evening when I come home. My family lives in Kitui not to be exposed to the smoke.

Like him, one-third of daily cigarette smokers consume fewer than five cigarettes a day while five per cent smoke more than 25 cigarettes a day. The average smoker of smoked cigarettes smokes seven cigarettes a day while the hand-rolled cigarette smoker turns on twice, indicates the APHRC study

About a third (35% ) smokers tried to quit smoking. difficulty encountered to break the dependency. Mr. Kioko is no exception. "Every time I try to stop, I fail. Just the sight of a person who smokes, or the smell of burning tobacco is enough to make me buy one. In addition, my friends are smoking.That's how we spend our social time, "he says.
Only 7% of smokers who attempt to quit in Kenya succeed, with the rate among the 15 to 24 year olds, at 17% According to the 1945 World Adult Tobacco Survey people aged 45 to 64 (12%) 25 to 44 years (3%)

cancer that they had continued to smoke, but their risk is higher than the risk for people who have never smoked. at any age can reduce the risk of lung cancer, according to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), aware of the many harmful effects of smoking, Kioko accuses its problems thorac persistent smoking. "Sometimes I get chest problems, especially if I change the mark I smoke," he says.

Smoking varies considerably by region. According to the survey conducted by Nacada, the Coast and East regions are the most numerous with one in nine people aged 15 to 65 using smoke and smokeless tobacco products, followed by Nairobi with 10%. The prevalence of tobacco use in the three regions is double five percent of Nyanza, the lowest. Despite having the second lowest proportion of tobacco users, at 6%, Western experienced the largest increase in prevalence, doubling from three percent in 2012 to six percent in 2017.

Prevalence from the West is followed by (seven percent) Rift Valley (eight percent) and Northeast (nine percent). Other areas that have experienced an increase in prevalence are Nyanza (one third), Coast (13%) and Eastern (9%).

North Eastern experienced a 45% decline in the proportion of trollers using Nairobi (28%), Central (27%) and Rift Valley (11%).

As expected, the Nacada survey reveals that men outnumber women to consume tobacco. One in six men use tobacco, a proportion similar to 2012. In contrast, 1% of women do the same, a halving of 2% in 2012.
Smoking is one of the top five causes of smoking. According to WHO, one in 11 deaths in Kenya was caused by cancer in 2017, making it the third most deadly disease after malaria and pneumonia. The habit is also the second leading cause of cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure, according to WHO. The UN agency also reports that smoking kills 31,000 people each year in Kenya.

According to the CDC, tobacco smoke is a toxic mixture of about 7,000 chemicals, 70 of which cause cancer in humans and animals. Cigarette smokers are 15 to 30 times more likely to have lung cancer than those who do not. Even smoking a few cigarettes a day or smoking occasionally increases the risk of lung cancer. Smoking also causes cancer of the mouth and throat, liver, pancreas, esophagus, stomach, colon, rectum, voice box, trachea, bronchi, bladder, kidney and renal pelvis. 19659006] Second-hand smoke also causes lung cancer in non-smoking adults. The 2015 APHRC study reveals that a quarter of Kenyans are exposed to second-hand smoke at home.

Smokeless tobacco is not safe either, as it is likely to cause cancers of the esophagus and pancreas. In Kenya, four percent of tobacco users consume smokeless tobacco (chewing and sniffing).

Second-hand smoke also causes lung cancer in non-smoking adults. The 2015 APHRC study reveals that a quarter of Kenyans are exposed to second-hand smoke at home

The WHO estimates that one in seven people killed by the Tobacco is a pbadive smoker.

While the Tobacco Act Prohibits Smoking in Public Places, Newsplex has observed several people smoking in the street instead of designated areas

Although workplaces are designated as Smoke-free environment, the APHRC survey, which was done jointly with the Ministry of Health, shows that one in five adults is exposed to secondhand smoke at their workplace.