SUPPLY REDUCTION MEASURES OF TOBACCO AND TOBACCO PRODUCTS

There are two sides to the sustainment of tobacco use: demand and supply of tobacco products. The supply side includes the availability, ease of accessibility and affordability of tobacco products. The global increase of tobacco use for the past six decades has, therefore, seen a corresponding increase in tobacco farming and tobacco-product manufacturing, particularly in low- and medium-income countries. African countries have been particularly attractive to transnational leaf production companies due to the continent’s abundance of inexpensive land, weak dependent economies and relatively cheap labor.

Mostly through forced labor, colonial governments in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries transformed vast areas of arable land and natural forests in Africa into tobacco plantations. Elsewhere, peasants were forced, by law, to produce tobacco as a “cash crop”, to the detriment of food production. This has aggravated famine due to environmental degradation and, consequently, food insufficiency and perpetual poverty. Unfortunately, tradition has dictated continued production of tobacco to the extent that some countries have been tagged as “tobacco dependent”.It is no secret that tobacco manufacturing companies have always targeted children and youth to ensure the sustainability of their trade. Again, Africa provides the best target for the Tobacco Industry due to its overwhelmingly young population. Introduction of novel “self service” tactics through cigarette vending machines has enabled children to access tobacco. The availability of cheap cigarettes on the market through counterfeited and illicit products has further facilitated tobacco use, especially among  youth and low-income persons.

Article 17 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) urges governments to promote appropriate and economically viable alternative livelihoods to tobacco production, in countries whose economies depend on tobacco production. Also, in order to reduce accessibility and availability of tobacco products, WHO FCTC Articles 15 and 16 urges governments to establish legislative and other measures to curb illicit trade in tobacco products, especially the handling of tobacco products by minors.