Joseph Hart 20 October 2025

 

There is a continuous amount of friction between what citizens want and what health bodies think we should have. Nowhere is that chasm more pronounced than in the Kenya Tobacco Control space. It has some of the loudest, most brainwashed voices in tobacco control. It also has its fair share of people who bravely represent citizens’ interests.

Campaign for Safer Alternatives (CASA) is a pan-African NGO that works towards tobacco harm reduction in Africa. They released a recent survey that explores public attitudes toward tobacco harm reduction (THR) and proposed government restrictions on safer nicotine alternatives such as vapes and oral nicotine pouches.

Let’s take a look at some of the more interesting findings.

#1. Kenyans want harm reduction

It’s pretty clear that Kenyans are supportive of harm reduction, with 83% “favourable or very

favourable towards the Government adopting tobacco harm reduction policies.” In fact, just 6% of citizens are against harm reduction, which shines a light on how out of step the government is with its people.

#2. People believe in harm reduction products

A mammoth 85% of adults surveyed believe that products like pouches and vapes can help people quit smoking. This figure shows that the Kenyans surveyed were more progressive than their global equivalent, where a recent PMI survey demonstrated that 3 of 4 worldwide citizens think harm reduction products are a sensible way to tackle smoking as a problem.

#3. Opposition to restrictive policies

The Kenyan Tobacco Control (Amendment) Bill 2024 is so heavy handed, that it will effectively regulate vapes and pouches out of use. We’ve seen this “ban that’s not a ban” approach in a number of European countries in recent years. Just like their European counterparts, Kenyans are not behind these regulations.

  • 63% think the Government should promote switching to safer alternatives like e-cigarettes or nicotine pouches.
  • 52% say banning safer products but continuing to allow cigarette sales “does not make sense.”
  • 34% fear such bans would increase the number of smokers; 45% link them to greater underage access.

#4. Black market fears

One frequent unintended consequence of draconian regulations is the emergence of a black market for both vapes and pouches. The obvious concern here is that products could contain excessive strengths or have low quality control.

Some of the interesting parts of the survey suggest:

  • 73% believe banning nicotine alternatives would grow the black market.
  • Among current users of vapes or pouches, 81% expect illicit sales to rise.
  • 52% of users say it would be “easy or very easy” to find banned flavoured products illegally.
  • Only 16% believe the Government is currently doing enough to tackle illicit trade; 89% want stronger action.

#5. The economy

Another consequence of a flourishing black market is the impact that it has on local economies that could generate tax and employment through the sale of legal products. Indeed, 52% of Kenyans who were surveyed agreed that access through the black market would be very easy, with 67% naming unemployment as Kenya’s biggest challenge, with just 3% seeing regulating nicotine products as a priority.

Final thoughts

The CASA survey highlights a clear difference between Kenyan citizens and tobacco control groups. Indeed, the militant tobacco control groups are really out of tune with what people want, which is access to good quality smoking alternative products, reasonable regulations, and more employment opportunities through innovative markets.

Read the report here: https://safer-alternatives.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/CASA-Campaign-for-Safer-Alternatives-Polling-Sept.pdf