British American Tobacco (BAT) nicotine bags, commonly known as LYFT, have been declared illegal in Kenya by Health CS Mutahi Kagwe. CS Mutahi Kagwe ordered Lyft`s delisting after alleging it was illegally licensed and registered. Health Minister Mutahi Kagwe has outlawed the registration of nicotine bags, including the popular BAT Lyft product, and wants them to be written off. The Kenyan Tobacco Alliance (Ketca), parents and anti-smoking groups have expressed concerns that Lyft is easily accessible and used by minors. “A highly addictive and health-risky product should not be sold freely. We want the nicotine product to be heavily taxed and regulated, just as we deal with other tobacco products,” said Joel Gitali (Ketca), President of Ketca. According to a Notice of Guidance to the Pharmacy and Poison Information Authority, he believes that the granting of a nicotine bag license to Lyft was contrary to the provision of Section 25 of the Pharmacy and Poisons Act CAP 224 and is not consistent with the provisions of Section 23 of CAP 224 to sell the product publicly as required. Tobacco control advocates are also wary of endless interactions between the Department of Health and BAT since Lyft`s nicotine bags were made illegal by Kagwe. Health HC Mutahi Kagwe stopped selling the nicotine bags in September 2020 because they were illegally licensed in Kenya by the Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) and were sold to minors. Kenya`s Minister of Health, Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe, has outlawed the registration of LYFT (a bag of nicotine marketed by British American Tobacco (BAT-Kenya) as an alternative to cigarettes for addicted smokers) and ordered the Pharmacy and Poisons Board to write it off.

This is due to concerns about the manner in which they are distributed, accessibility to persons under the age of 18 and the fact that the Board`s authorization to dispense the bags was contrary to the provisions of section 25 of the Pharmacy and Poisons Act (cap. 224), under which they were registered as medicines. “This product shouldn`t even be on the market. We must not reward the tobacco company by allowing it to sell an illegal product. It is a reward for impunity. Why didn`t they ask for laws to regulate their product before putting it on the market,” said Joel Giali, National President of KETCA? Parents have also called on the government to conduct further testing of nicotine products (Lyft) to express concern about children abusing the highly addictive drug. The president of the National Parents` Association, Nicholas Maiyo, warned that children could become addicted because there are no restrictions on selling the product. Nairobi – The Ministry of Health on Wednesday declared the registration of LYFT nicotine bags illegal in Kenya and ordered the Pharmacy and Poisons Council to write them off.

When you book a Talixo car, you have the option to choose an economic, professional or luxury vehicle for a variety of prices. Talixo cars are available in different sizes, with the largest accommodating up to 7 passengers. According to the lobby, there is insufficient data to show that bags are a less risky alternative to cigarettes. The effect is further enhanced if you take alcohol. However, Caroline Mavuti, head of corporate affairs at BAT Kenya, pointed out in a recent interview with Nation that Lyft is a modern tobacco-free oral nicotine packet. The ban follows intense lobbying by parents and anti-smoking groups for the Department of Health to ban Lyft. It is sold over the counter in supermarkets and local shops at Sh20 per bag. Many users say that you get high in a short time, but the effects are further enhanced when you take alcohol. According to the lobby, there is no qualified data to show that bags are a less risky alternative, it said a ketca cigarette official if it was designed for smokers trying to quit the habit, so it should only be accessible by prescription.

Importantly, countries like Kenya have shown that changes in design and tax rates up to 2015 have little impact on tobacco consumption and health outcomes on average, largely because cigarettes are price inelastic in Kenya. This has only led to an increase in consumer prices, which has had the unintended consequences of increasing illicit trade and manufacture of tobacco products; which can be genuine and counterfeit products. With the ban on nicotine bags, the Department of Health meant that they did not fit the legislated descriptions of “Part I poison” or “Part II poison.” While the concerns expressed are significantly effective and justified, care must be taken not to over-regulate the sector unnecessarily. Globally, the tobacco industry is grappling with stricter regulation, a growing demand for safer and credible alternatives, and reputational issues for its supply chain and sustainability. This included a major restructuring of tobacco taxes to ensure businesses pay their fair share of taxes while taking steps to limit consumption. According to an International Institute of Legislative Affairs (ILA) study entitled Economics of Tobacco Consumption (2011), changes to excise duties included moving from specific to ad valorem rates and then mixing ad valorem and specific rates for certain product categories. The Kenya Tobacco Control Alliance, the umbrella organization of tobacco control organizations in the country, has called on the government to ensure that these bags are not allowed on the Kenyan market if the manufacturer is not willing to comply with the existing law. Lyft is a nicotine bag marketed by British American Tobacco (BAT) Kenya #ticker:BAT as an alternative to cigarettes for addicted smokers.