Stop Tobacco Deaths – Act Now!

CPCR Demands Swift Enactment of Tobacco Control Bill as Zambia Faces Alarming Rise in Youth Smoking

By Francis Maingaila

Lusaka, Zambia24 (May 31, 2025) - The Centre for Primary Care Research (CPCR) has sounded the alarm over Zambia’s worsening tobacco epidemic and demanded the immediate enactment of the long-delayed Tobacco Control Bill, warning that the lives of thousands—especially children—are at stake if urgent policy measures are not implemented.

Speaking during a press briefing in Lusaka on Friday to commemorate World No Tobacco Day, CPCR Executive Director Professor Foston Goma described the country’s current tobacco situation as a “national health crisis” fueled by aggressive tobacco industry marketing and regulatory gaps that continue to endanger both public health and the national economy.

 “The truth is plain: Zambia is being targeted by multinational tobacco companies. Our children are being recruited as the next generation of smokers,” Prof. Goma said. “The time to act is now. We must enact the Tobacco Control Bill.”

According to Prof. Goma, more than 1.6 million Zambians aged 15 and above—representing roughly 16% of the adult population—currently use tobacco products.

Over 7,400 people die each year from tobacco-related diseases, accounting for nearly 6% of all annual deaths in the country.

Even more concerning is the growing prevalence of smoking among adolescents. The 2021 Global Youth Tobacco Survey revealed that 13% of Zambian youths aged 13 to 15—approximately 170,000 children—are already using tobacco products.

CPCR attributes this surge to increased exposure to retail points selling tobacco near schools and aggressive marketing by tobacco companies.

“Tobacco use among youth is not accidental,” Prof. Goma said. “It is the result of deliberate strategies by the industry to addict children early, using attractive flavours, deceptive packaging, and sales practices that violate international health guidelines.

A CPCR-led study titled “Big Tobacco: Tiny Targets” uncovered that more than 80% of retail outlets within school zones displayed tobacco products near sweets and soft drinks, enhancing their appeal to minors.

Most of these outlets sold cigarettes in single sticks, known locally as mishanga, making them affordable to children for as little as K1.

Nearly all these retailers operated within 100 meters of schools or playgrounds, in violation of the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC).

Prof. Goma emphasized that these practices are not coincidental but part of a coordinated marketing effort to normalize smoking among schoolchildren.

He said CPCR found evidence of tobacco companies distributing branded merchandise, sponsoring entertainment events, and running covert marketing campaigns on social media targeting young users.

The public health cost of tobacco consumption in Zambia is staggering.

Prof. Goma explained that the economic burden associated with tobacco use—including healthcare expenditures and productivity losses—amounts to over K2.8 billion annually.

This includes K154 million in direct healthcare costs for treating diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and respiratory illnesses, and K2.7 billion in productivity losses due to illness, premature deaths, and absenteeism.

“Every cigarette smoked is not just a health risk—it is a drain on our economy and national development,” Prof. Goma said. “Tobacco use exacerbates poverty by diverting household income from food, education, and shelter.”

Despite Zambia being a signatory to the WHO FCTC since 2008, the country has yet to domesticate the treaty into law.

The Tobacco Control Bill, first drafted in 2010 with technical input from various stakeholders, has stagnated in the legislative process for more than 14 years.

Prof. Goma accused the tobacco industry of using its influence to frustrate the bill’s progress by lobbying lawmakers and misleading the public through narratives that position tobacco as economically beneficial through farming and job creation.

“This interference is a violation of Article 5.3 of the WHO FCTC, which clearly stipulates that public health policy should be protected from the vested interests of the tobacco industry,” he said.

CPCR is calling on the government to urgently table and pass the Tobacco Control Bill, saying the legislation will prohibit the sale of cigarettes near schools, playgrounds, and health facilities; ban tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship; mandate graphic health warnings on packaging; prohibit sales to minors and single-stick sales; and regulate emerging nicotine products such as e-cigarettes.

The organisation also urged the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Local Government to strengthen enforcement of existing regulations, such as smoke-free public places and age restrictions, which are currently poorly implemented.

Additionally, CPCR recommends that Zambia adopt the WHO’s MPOWER strategy, which promotes monitoring tobacco use, protecting people from smoke, offering cessation support, warning about health risks, enforcing advertising bans, and raising taxes on tobacco products.

Prof. Goma said that if enacted, the Tobacco Control Bill could save over 40,000 lives and prevent economic losses of K12.4 billion over the next 15 years.

This year’s World No Tobacco Day is being observed under the theme “Unmasking the Appeal: Exposing Industry Tactics on Tobacco and Nicotine Products.”

The theme aligns with CPCR’s research findings, which show how tobacco companies mask the harmful effects of their products behind bright packaging, sweet flavours, and misleading “harm-reduction” claims.

 “There is no safe level of tobacco use,” Prof. Goma emphasized. “The industry’s so-called ‘harm-reduction’ products are just another form of addiction wrapped in a different package.”

CPCR vowed to continue pushing for the passage of the Tobacco Control Bill and greater government accountability in protecting public health from the manipulations of the tobacco industry.

“Zambians—especially our children—deserve better,” Prof. Goma concluded.

“The fight against tobacco is a fight for our nation’s health, prosperity, and future. The time to act is now.”

Zambia’s youth have criticized the government for failing to enact meaningful tobacco control legislation, 17 years after the country ratified the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

Speaking during the commemoration of World No Tobacco Day in Lusaka, Ssims Banda of the Young Professionals Network Zambia accused Parliament of willful negligence, noting that over 7,000 Zambians continue to die annually from tobacco-related illnesses while legislators sit idle.

“No protection. Over 7,000 Zambians die every year from tobacco-related illnesses—and still Parliament remains silent. This is not incompetence. It is complicity,” Banda charged.

He accused policymakers of enabling the tobacco industry to thrive by creating a regulatory vacuum that allows aggressive marketing of nicotine and tobacco products—especially those designed to attract young people.

Flavored vapes, deceptive social media ads, and glamorous packaging are now deeply embedded in youth culture, he said, because leaders have failed to act.

Banda further alleged that the tobacco industry is preparing to influence the 2026 general elections through covert campaign financing and political manipulation.

“Let’s not be naïve. They are already preparing to use those they’ve paid to protect their interests next year. We expect a flood of campaign money disguised as sponsorships, partnerships, and community projects—all designed to silence opposition to their deadly products.”

He described the situation as a form of political and corporate capture, in which industry actors infiltrate public institutions and subvert the democratic process.

“We are not just fighting addiction. We are fighting corporate capture. And if we don’t stop it now, we will see leaders bought and policies written not by the people, but by those who profit from poisoning them,” he warned.

Banda also took aim at the media for what he called its role in normalizing tobacco use in entertainment and youth content. 

He urged media houses to reject tobacco industry advertising and instead focus on exposing its manipulative tactics and the real human cost of addiction.

“Stop selling us lies. Stop glamorizing addiction. You hold the power to influence public perception—use it to tell the truth.”

Calling for urgent legislative action, Banda demanded the immediate banning of flavored tobacco and nicotine products, the closing of legal loopholes that permit new tobacco products to enter the market, and the strict enforcement of advertising regulations, especially on digital platforms that target youth.

“Every delay is a death sentence. Every omission from law is an invitation to addict more of us,” he said.

In a final message to the tobacco industry, Banda delivered a defiant warning:

 “We see through your tactics. We know your playbook. We are informed, and we are no longer afraid. You will not write our future.”

He called on Parliamentarians to rise above private interests and show leadership.

 “We’re not asking anymore—we’re demanding. And if you won’t lead, we will.”

World No Tobacco Day is observed globally on May 31 to raise awareness about the health risks of tobacco use and to advocate for stronger tobacco control measures. In Zambia, youth leaders say this year’s theme should not end with speeches or hashtags—but with action and accountability.

The Zambia Media Network Against Tobacco (ZAMNAT) has urged President Hakainde Hichilema to end the delays and immediately enact the long-stalled Tobacco Control Bill, warning that the country is in the grip of an escalating addiction crisis targeting its youth.

Marking World No Tobacco Day, ZAMNAT Vice President Linda Nyundo accused the tobacco and nicotine industries of deliberately using deceptive tactics — including flavoured products, sleek packaging, and aggressive marketing near schools and playgrounds — to hook a new generation of Zambians into lifelong addiction.

“This is not just a public health threat — it’s an orchestrated assault on Zambia’s future,” Nyundo declared. “Young people are being manipulated by billion-dollar industries while our leaders delay lifesaving legislation.”

Nyundo condemned the continued delay of the Tobacco Control Bill, which President Hichilema approved in principle in 2023 but has since faced persistent interference from vested commercial and political interests.

“The President must take personal responsibility for the passage of this bill,” she said. “Public health cannot be held hostage by industry lobbyists or political indecision.”

The urgency of ZAMNAT’s call is underscored by a shocking report from the University Teaching Hospital (UTH), which reveals that it is recording over 210 mental health cases per week, many involving youth affected by substance abuse, including tobacco and emerging nicotine products.

“This is a national emergency. Our health system is overstretched, our youth are suffering, and yet we are still debating whether or not to regulate the very industries fuelling the crisis,” said Nyundo.

According to the Big Tobacco Tiny Targets report, tobacco companies are flagrantly violating ethical and legal norms by marketing their products near schools, playgrounds, and youth gathering areas, using branding strategies that glamorise smoking and nicotine use.

ZAMNAT warned that the so-called “harm reduction” narrative, which promotes e-cigarettes and alternative nicotine delivery systems as safer options, is a dangerous distraction designed to sustain corporate profits rather than protect public health.

“These are not solutions — they are gateway products. Without strong regulation, they will only expand addiction under a new disguise,” Nyundo cautioned.

ZAMNAT is demanding the immediate enactment of comprehensive tobacco control legislation in line with WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) standards. 

Key provisions must include a ban on flavoured tobacco and nicotine products; total restriction on advertising, promotion, and sponsorship; clear, graphic health warnings on all tobacco and nicotine packaging; a ban on the sale of single cigarettes, which increases affordability and accessibility for children; and prohibition of product displays near educational and recreational spaces.

“This law is not a suggestion. It is a necessity,” Nyundo emphasized. 

“To delay further is to betray the trust of the young people who voted this government into power.”

While ZAMNAT acknowledged President Hichilema’s initial approval of the bill, it warned that good intentions mean nothing without political will. 

The group insists that the President must not allow health policy to be undermined by corporate manipulation or weak governance.

“Passing this bill is not just a policy decision — it is a moral obligation. Zambia must choose between protecting its children or protecting industry profits,” Nyundo said.

As the country joins the global community in commemorating World No Tobacco Day, ZAMNAT says the time for half-measures is over. 

The organisation urged the President and Parliament to stand on the side of public health and deliver on their constitutional duty to protect the nation’s youth.