Health Cabinet Secretary Dr Cleopa Mailu PHOTO: COURTESY

Smokers could soon pay more for cigarettes if a proposal by the Ministry of Health to Treasury is endorsed.

The push for higher taxes comes a month to implementation of new tobacco regulations that involve putting graphic illustrations on tobacco packages.

"I am happy to inform the public that the tobacco regulations will come into force in about a month from now, and Kenya will be able to implement the long awaited graphic health warnings. To strengthen the effectiveness of the graphic warnings, I am directing the Tobacco Control Unit to initiate the implementation of standardised packaging," Health Cabinet Secretary Cleopa Mailu said.

The Health ministry has asked Treasury to increase taxes on cigarettes to cut the number of people who can afford it. The push to enact laws to limit use of tobacco will set another round of battle with tobacco companies. This came as a new report noted that one out of every 10 Kenyan adults smokes tobacco.

The Global Adult Tobacco Survey, 2014 released on Tuesday in Nairobi surveyed people above the age of 15.

Dr Mailu, in a speech read by director of medical services Jackson Kioko, noted that since the survey proved that more than half of smokers think of quitting, making cigarettes more expensive would help.

"I am therefore calling upon my colleague in the National Treasury to raise the tax on tobacco products in line with the SDG Agenda that requires governments to address non-communicable diseases as one of the externalities of tobacco use and exposure to tobacco smoke," Mailu added.

The desire to quit, Mailu said, was due to the warnings that have been put on cigarette packs.

He said: "More evidence from the survey reveals that, approximately half of the smokers - 55.9 per cent - reported thinking about quitting because of the text warnings placed on cigarette packs." The Cabinet secretary also requested health workers to ask clients who they serve in health facilities about their tobacco use.

In a bid to control effects of tobacco use, Kenya banned all manner of tobacco advertising including on social media. However, the new survey found that one in every four people still see tobacco advertising and promotion.

Mailu has also directed the director of public health to collaborate with the county governments and other law enforcement agencies to establish a comprehensive enforcement mechanism for the Tobacco Control Act 2012.

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