Could South Africas proposed smoking regulations have unintended consequences for the rest of Africa? A leading Kenyan doctor believes so.
Dr Vivian Manyeki, a public health physician and epidemiologist at Kenyatta National Hospital, the largest referral hospital in East and Central Africa, said the Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill carries major implications for the region and could set a precedent for the rest of Africa.
Manyeki, a speaker at the recent Wellness Collective in Johannesburg, a forum aimed at shifting South Africa from selling harm to promoting wellness, said while the bill addresses gaps in youth access control and advertising, it risks placing combustible cigarettes and significantly less harmful nicotine products under the same strict regulations.