Experts attending a key conference in Nairobi have asked Kenya to adopt the Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) approach being applied by Sweden to reduce deaths caused by tobacco.

According to Tobacco Harm Reduction experts, the country stands to save the lives of up to 184,000 Kenyans just by adopting the tobacco harm reduction policies effected in Sweden.

They were speaking during a two-day workshop in Nairobi, where they outlined the importance of adopting policies that reduce the prevalence of active tobacco smoking.

According to the experts from different countries, the policies, if adopted, will encourage smokers in Kenya to transition to less risky nicotine products and eventually quit smoking.

Sweden’s smokers have switched from traditional tobacco products to less harmful nicotine options with the country set to become the world’s first “smoke-free” country later in 2024.

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The exemplary achievement, which Kenya is being advised by various experts to emulate, has been credited to its bold decision to implement harm reduction policies in tobacco.

Quit Like Sweden, a global alliance pushing for adoption of tobacco harm reduction to enable adults quit smoking, discloses that Sweden has an average smoking rate five times lower than the rest of European Union (EU) countries.

Subsequently, the cancer rate in Sweden is 40 per cent lower than the rest of the EU, with the country’s smoking-related deaths 21.1 per cent fewer compared to the rest of the EU.

A report by tobacco harm reduction experts dubbed “Saving 600,000 lives in Nigeria and Kenya” estimated that Kenya can reduce tobacco-related deaths from the current 8,000 to 3,400 by 2060 if it adopted the right policies.

Reacting to the findings, report co-author and former Foundation for a Smoke-Free World leader Derek Yach urged Kenya to emulate Sweden and New Zealand which have adopted safer alternatives to tobacco and considerably lowered smoking rates and related deaths.

“Our research shows that tobacco harm reduction is the missing piece in Kenya’s fight against smoking-related diseases,” indicated Yach.

Quit Like Sweden Director, Suely Castro, appealed to Kenya to tailor tobacco harm reduction strategies to its unique needs backed by exhaustive research to ensure they are successful.

“This approach would involve offering smokers alternatives when they are willing to quit, but it would need to be tailored to Kenya’s specific needs and supported by research, studies, and community engagement,” added Castro.

On his part, Campaign for Safer Alternatives (CASA) Chairman, Joseph Magero, said Kenya had a unique opportunity to lead Africa in adopting a balanced approach to tobacco control.

“By integrating safer nicotine alternatives into our public health strategies, we can save lives, reduce the burden of tobacco-related diseases and provide smokers with effective tools to quit,” stated Magero.

The push for tobacco harm reduction strategies comes as Senator Catherine Muyeka Mumma has sponsored a bill to amend the obsolete Tobacco Control Act of 2007.

The Tobacco Control (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which is before the Senate Health Committee, aims to regulate production, marketing, sale and consumption of modern nicotine products.

Stakeholders have demanded science-based laws on new nicotine products to aid smokers move from usual cigarettes to less risky nicotine options to tame deaths and lessen the healthcare burden on the government.

Tobacco harm reduction is a public health strategy seeking to lessen the negative health impacts of smoking to adult smokers by providing less harmful alternatives to nicotine:

• Switching to smokeless products: Smokers can switch to scientifically-substantiated, smokeless alternatives that deliver nicotine but contain fewer toxic and harmful compounds than cigarettes like heated tobacco products and e-cigarettes.

• Reducing tobacco use: Smokers can try to reduce the amount of tobacco they consume.

• Using less toxic products: Smokers can use less toxic products, such as pharmaceutical nicotine, as an alternative to cigarettes.