The Ministry of Health has introduced new graphic health warnings on all tobacco products nationwide.
Through a statement released on Friday, June 13, the ministry revealed it had gazetted the third batch of 13 warnings to promote effective tobacco control and the protection of public health.
The new warnings, which are also translated into Swahili and feature approved pictures and pictograms, must now appear on all tobacco product packaging.
“This intervention aims to increase public awareness of tobacco-related health risks, deter tobacco use, especially among youth, and protect non-smokers and vulnerable populations,” noted the ministry.
The first warning, split into two, reads “WARNING! SMOKING HARMS PEOPLE NEXT TO YOU” and “WARNING! THIS PRODUCT HARMS PEOPLE NEXT TO YOU.”
The second warning reads “WARNING! TOBACCO USE CAUSES LUNG DISEASE.” Notably, all the warnings should be capitalised. It is complemented by a graphic portraying lungs that have not been subjected to tobacco use and those of a perennial smoker.
The third warning ought to be “WARNING! TOBACCO USE HARMS YOUR UNBORN BABY.” It is accompanied by a graphic of a pregnant woman smoking a cigarette.
The fourth warning must read “WARNING! TOBACCO USE CAUSES HEART DISEASE.” It features a graphic of a healthy heart and a smoker’s heart.
The fifth warning reads “WARNING! TOBACCO USE CAUSES INFERTILITY.” It is accompanied by a blurred-out image of a woman outside a fertility clinic, sulking over her inability to conceive.
Concurrently, the sixth warning states, “WARNING! TOBACCO USE CAUSES IMPOTENCE.” It features a graphic of a bent cigarette.
The seventh warning, also split into two, is centred around the risk of suffering from mouth cancer. The first section reads “WARNING! THIS PRODUCT IS NOT A SAFE ALTERNATIVE TO CIGARETTES.” It is followed by “WARNING! THIS PRODUCT CAN CAUSE MOUTH CANCER.” The warning is followed by a picture of one suffering from mouth cancer.
The eighth warning communicates that tobacco use can cause death. “WARNING! TOBACCO USE KILLS.” It is accompanied by an image of a coffin.
The addictive dangers of using tobacco products have been listed as the ninth warning, and it has been split into two as well. The first section reads, “WARNING! TOBACCO USE IS ADDICTIVE.” It features a graphic of a person chained to a vape product.
Meanwhile, the second part refers to the dangers of indulging in “smokeless” tobacco products, advising against using them as an alternative. It states, “WARNING! THIS PRODUCT IS NOT A SAFE ALTERNATIVE TO CIGARETTES.”
The tenth warning also refers to the addictive dangers of tobacco use and features a graphic of one in handcuffs. It reads, “WARNING! TOBACCO USE IS ADDICTIVE.”
The eleventh caution informs of the threat tobacco products pose to gum health and the potential for tobacco to lead to tooth loss. It must read, “WARNING! THIS PRODUCT CAN LEAD TO GUM DISEASE AND TOOTH LOSS.”
The twelfth and thirteenth warnings are also on the potential of tobacco products to lead to gum disease and feature images of damaged mouth cavities as a result of using tobacco.
