Debate on New Tobacco Control Bill Rages in Kenya

 

By Josiah Obat

For months, lawmakers in Kenya have been debating a new bill seeking to regulate the consumption, sale, and advertising¹ of tobacco products in the country.  The Tobacco Control Bill 2004 was presented by the Ministry² of Health in March and is expected to reach a vote soon.

Dr. Ahmed Ogwel of the tobacco-free initiative at the health ministry says the country is spending too much money treating tobacco-related illnesses.

Dr. Ogwel say this amount, nearly $9 million, is only the cost directly associated with the purchase of drugs, surgery and tests for patients suffering from tobacco-related diseases.  He says the country loses much more when workers fail to report for duty because of illness.

Kenya is the leading producer of tobacco in Africa, growing more than 4000 hectares.  The Kernyan tobacco industry produces about $100 million a year for the country's economy.

The World Health Organization says tobacco consumption is declining in developed countries, but there is a marked increase in consumption in developing nations.  It says about 60 percent of the 5.6 billion cigarettes smoked each year are consumed in developing countries.

National Campaign Against Drug Abuse In Kenya coordinator³ Joseph Kaguthi says more Kenyans are attracted to cigarette smoking by advertising.

"They have been advertising cigarettes in this country in a very glamorous⁴ manner. Things like, 'Smooth all the way.'  They have even gone to our primary and secondary schools actually to recruit."

Mr. Kaguthi says tobacco companies have shifted their advertising and marketing⁵ strategy to the sponsoring of annual agricultural exhibitions, which are visited by thousands of school children.  He says weak legislation in Kenya has seen at least three international tobacco companies relocate to Kenya in the past year.

The controversy⁶ over the Tobacco Control Bill of 2004 was highlighted recently when tobacco growers and companies hosted legislators at a retreat in the coastal⁷ resort of Mombasa.   This action was criticized by anti-tobacco campaigners who saw it as tantamount to bribing⁸ the legislators before debate on the tobacco bill.

Sammy Weya is one of the legislators who attended the workshop at Mombasa.

"We were getting information from the Kenya Association of Manufacturers, from advertising agents, from doctors telling us the risks of smoking, from distributors, retailers⁹, ministry of finance was there, it was only the Ministry of Health that was not there to give us their presentation. So it was very intense, very informative¹⁰ and we are now armed to debate."

Mr. Weya says as members of parliament they are open to all shades of opinion on this matter and calls on those with reservations on the bill to present those to them the way the pro-tobacco lobby did.

Mr. Weya of the ruling National Rainbow Coalition¹¹ party says tobacco is not the only health hazard in life and must not be regulated too much.

"If we talk about the health hazards of tobacco in Kenya today, what is the smoking population I will say 10 percent of the adult population which comes up to about one million people. If you ask me how many people who died in road accidents I will tell you 3000 thousand people, so we have to look at the health vis-à-vis the wealth.  How much are we losing and how much are we gaining and balance out.  We are saying let us regulate, but let us regulate responsibly."

The Tobacco Control Bill also proposes to stop the sale of single cigarettes in an effort to keep them out of the reach of children.  Although the law prohibits the sale of alcoholic¹² beverages¹³ and cigarettes to children, such drugs still find their way into the possession of minors¹⁴. 

Several Kenyan boarding schools have reported cases of consumption and abuse of a variety of drugs.  This trend forced the government to ban the sale alcohol packed in small plastic containers in shops last year.

David Mwambire represents the Tobacco Farmers Association of Kenya.  He says the ban on the sale of single cigarettes is not fair.

"The point of sale for cigarettes is by the stick and the kiosk and the tobacco business is by the way 90-95 percent by the stick. If you are going to say that we sell the cigarettes by the packet are you not in effect killing¹⁵ that tobacco business?"

He also says cigarette manufactures should be allowed to spend some of their profits on social welfare projects in the country contrary to the stipulations of the control bill. 

Musyoki Kivindyo of the British American Tobacco Company, the main producer in Kenya, says his company does not mind some government regulation.

"We are not opposed to legislation. What we would like to see is the views of the stakeholders taken into account so that we have a balanced and workable piece of legislation.  In terms of impact if the authorities do not take the views of the stakeholders then it will not be good practice since you license¹⁷ a company to operate and then at the same time you make it impossible for the institution to operate."

Mr. Kivindyo thinks producers should be included in the tobacco regulatory board to be established by the new bill, but Dr. Ogwel says they should have no role in health matters.

"In matters of health the tobacco industry can not, will not, and should not be a stake holder¹⁶. They produce a product that is toxic¹⁸, addictive¹⁹, a product that when used as the manufacturer has prescribed will definitely cause you disease, often it causes disability and death too."

The Tobacco Control Bill 2004 would eliminate advertising tobacco products and force tobacco manufacturers to display bigger warnings of the hazards of smoking on cigarette packets.
 
For VOA news, this is Josiah Obat in Nairobi.
注释：
consumption 消费
coordinator 协调员
glamorous 有魅力的
tantamount 等价
reservation 保留
hazard 冒险
stipulation 契约，约定

1 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

2 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

3 coordinator   

n.协调人

参考例句：

• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, headed by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, coordinates all UN emergency relief. 联合国人道主义事务协调厅在紧急救济协调员领导下，负责协调联合国的所有紧急救济工作。
• How am I supposed to find the client-relations coordinator? 我怎么才能找到客户关系协调员的办公室？

4 glamorous   

adj.富有魅力的；美丽动人的；令人向往的

参考例句：

• The south coast is less glamorous but full of clean and attractive hotels.南海岸魅力稍逊，但却有很多干净漂亮的宾馆。
• It is hard work and not a glamorous job as portrayed by the media.这是份苦差，并非像媒体描绘的那般令人向往。

5 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

6 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

7 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

8 bribing   

贿赂

参考例句：

• He tried to escape by bribing the guard. 他企图贿赂警卫而逃走。
• Always a new way of bribing unknown and maybe nonexistent forces. 总是用诸如此类的新方法来讨好那不知名的、甚或根本不存在的魔力。 来自英汉非文学 - 科幻

9 retailers   

零售商，零售店( retailer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• High street retailers reported a marked increase in sales before Christmas. 商业街的零售商报告说圣诞节前销售量显著提高。
• Retailers have a statutory duty to provide goods suitable for their purpose. 零售商有为他们提供符合要求的货品的法定义务。

10 informative   

adj.提供资料的，增进知识的

参考例句：

• The adverts are not very informative.这些广告并没有包含太多有用信息。
• This intriguing book is both thoughtful and informative.这本引人入胜的书既有思想性又富知识性。

11 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

12 alcoholic   

adj.（含）酒精的，由酒精引起的；n.酗酒者

参考例句：

• The alcoholic strength of brandy far exceeds that of wine.白兰地的酒精浓度远远超过葡萄酒。
• Alcoholic drinks act as a poison to a child.酒精饮料对小孩犹如毒药。

13 beverages   

n.饮料( beverage的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• laws governing the sale of alcoholic beverages 控制酒类销售的法规
• regulations governing the sale of alcoholic beverages 含酒精饮料的销售管理条例

14 minors   

n.未成年人( minor的名词复数 )；副修科目；小公司；[逻辑学]小前提v.[主美国英语]副修，选修，兼修( minor的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The law forbids shops to sell alcohol to minors. 法律禁止商店向未成年者出售含酒精的饮料。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He had three minors this semester. 这学期他有三门副修科目。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

16 holder   

n.持有者，占有者；(台，架等)支持物

参考例句：

• The holder of the office of chairman is reponsible for arranging meetings.担任主席职位的人负责安排会议。
• That runner is the holder of the world record for the hundred-yard dash.那位运动员是一百码赛跑世界纪录的保持者。

17 license   

n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许

参考例句：

• The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。
• The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。

18 toxic   

adj.有毒的，因中毒引起的

参考例句：

• The factory had accidentally released a quantity of toxic waste into the sea.这家工厂意外泄漏大量有毒废物到海中。
• There is a risk that toxic chemicals might be blasted into the atmosphere.爆炸后有毒化学物质可能会进入大气层。

19 addictive   

adj.(吸毒等)使成瘾的，成为习惯的

参考例句：

• The problem with video game is that they're addictive.电子游戏机的问题在于它们会使人上瘾。
• Cigarettes are highly addictive.香烟很容易使人上瘾。