The Lower Eastern Times Opening The Third Eye
Hospitality business owners in Kisumu County have challenged a proposal seeking to increase the minimum legal age for purchasing and consuming tobacco and nicotine products from 18 to 21 years.
The traders raised concerns over the practicality of enforcing the proposed age limit during a public participation forum on the Tobacco Control (Amendment) Bill held in Kisumu on Saturday.
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Dan Ouma, the Kisumu chairperson of the Pubs, Entertainment and Restaurants Association of Kenya (PERAK), questioned how authorities would verify the age of customers seeking to purchase tobacco and nicotine products.
Ouma said the proposal could create enforcement challenges, particularly if consumers would be required to produce identification documents before making purchases.
The proposal to increase the minimum age emerged earlier in the week during a stakeholders’ meeting convened by the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Health in Nairobi to discuss the Bill.
Committee chairperson Dr James Nyikal said there appeared to be broad agreement among stakeholders on raising the age for purchasing nicotine products from 18 to 21.
However, Kisumu traders also objected to another proposal seeking to prohibit the sale of tobacco and nicotine products within 100 metres of facilities frequented by children.
They argued that existing tobacco-control regulations already provide for designated smoking areas and measures intended to regulate where tobacco products are used.
The traders further criticised a proposal requiring businesses dealing in tobacco products to obtain specific licences from county governments.
They argued that the additional licensing requirement would raise operating costs, noting that businesses already pay for single business permits issued by county governments.
The National Assembly Health Committee concluded its public participation exercise on the Tobacco Control (Amendment) Bill on Saturday after collecting views from stakeholders in Kisumu and Nanyuki.
The committee is expected to retreat to compile its report, incorporating submissions received from stakeholders across the country before the Bill proceeds to the next stage of consideration.
