Today marks World Vape Day, a moment for the world to reflect on how safer nicotine alternatives can help improve public health.
For Kenya, this reflection comes at a critical time. Parliament is currently debating the Tobacco Control (Amendment) Bill 2024, which could impose stricter regulations on these safe alternatives while the country continues to lose 12,000 lives every year to smoking-related illnesses.
Research has found that nearly 15 per cent of Kenyan men still smoke. Despite traditional tobacco control efforts, these numbers remain stubbornly high, marking a challenge shared by many African nations.
But a different story is unfolding over 10,000 kilometres away in Europe.
Sweden has reduced its smoking rates to some of the lowest in the world, thanks to the use of safer nicotine alternatives like snus, vapes, and oral nicotine pouches.
Just a few decades ago, half of all Swedish men smoked. Today, the male smoking rate is about a third of Kenya’s and is still falling. Sweden also records the lowest rate of smoking-related diseases in Europe.
So what is Sweden doing right, and what can Kenya learn?
According to a comparative study titled "Tale of Two Nations: Kenya vs Sweden", which examined the impact of various policies on health outcomes, evidence-based policymaking grounded in actual outcomes is crucial.
Both countries have histories of using oral stimulants. In Sweden, snus was widely used, and public health authorities acknowledged it as a less risky alternative to smoking. That openness, followed by the arrival of vapes and nicotine pouches, accelerated Sweden’s drop in smoking rates.
In contrast, Kenya has a long history with stimulants like khat, but policymakers have been slow to embrace safer oral nicotine products, despite clear evidence of reduced health risks.
Now, proposed changes in the Tobacco Control (Amendment) Bill could go even further, introducing flavour bans and strict licensing requirements that may limit access to these safer options.
While well-intended, such restrictions may backfire. Smokers looking to switch might simply return to conventional cigarettes, a trend seen elsewhere when harm reduction tools are made harder to access.
Low-income communities, which stand to benefit the most from affordable, smoke-free alternatives, could be hit hardest by reduced availability and rising costs.
What Kenya decides today could influence the region tomorrow. As a continental leader, our stance on tobacco harm reduction will likely shape approaches across East Africa and beyond.
On World Vape Day, Kenya has a chance to look at global success stories, and Sweden stands out. Experience shows that when harm reduction strategies are embraced, smoking-related illnesses go down.
Now, our lawmakers must make a critical choice: protect public health through rigid restrictions or expand access to safer alternatives based on science and results.
Sweden has shown us a path that works. The question is: will Kenya follow?