The non-governmental organisation (NGO), which aims at controlling and reducing tobacco use in the country, has implored government to adopt punitive measures to curb tobacco use in line with the Framework Convection on Tobacco Control (FCTC), to which Botswana is a signatory.
Bontle Mbongwe of ATN decried that though there is a high political commitment on tobacco control, more has to be done as the country is a fertile ground for tobacco smuggling and the commodity is increasingly becoming easy to access by minors. "The proposed 50 percent tobacco levy is a step in the right direction, but we feel it has to be increased," she said. She spoke at length about the informal sector selling cigarettes in bulk to members of the public and street vendors at relatively low prices and in the process competing with wholesalers, hence making tobacco an easily available commodity. Mbongwe said government should consider licensing tobacco retailers as a way of limiting accessibility, as research in Gaborone, Maun, Gumare and Shakawe has shown that the informal sector is largely used in illicit tobacco trade. "Sale of single cigarettes along with other commodities that attract children, such as sweets, should be regulated," Mbongwe said. She appealed to the police to conduct thorough investigations in areas like Maun where crushed illegal cigarettes are sold in bulk on the streets. She added that the product needs to be taken for laboratory tests because there is every likelihood that other harmful ingredients are added. Mbongwe said law enforcement officers have to be trained, adding that there an urgent need to sensitise community leaders on law requirements, the cost of illicit tobacco trade and engaging other stakeholders like the ministries of finance and trade industry. The FCTC is the world's first global public health treaty, which came into force in 2005. It provides an internationally coordinated effort to combating the tobacco epidemic, and sets out specific steps for governments to address tobacco use, including the adoption of tax and price measures to reduce tobacco consumption, ban tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship, create smoke-free work and public spaces, putting prominent health warnings on tobacco packages and combating illicit trade in tobacco products.
