ZAMBIA CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION CALLS FOR ENACTMENT OF TOBACCO CONTROL BILL

Zambia Civil Liberties Union Executive Director, Isaac Mwanza, has called for the enactment of the Tobacco Control Bill Number 40 of 2025 into law. Mwanza said Zambia ratified the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control on 23rd May 2008, thereby becoming legally bound to implement comprehensive measures to reduce tobacco use. He stated that by ratifying the treaty, government committed to domesticating it through national legislation, primarily through the long-awaited Tobacco Cotrol Bill. He explained that this obligation is not optional but a binding commitment requiring the State to establish enforceable laws that regulate the production, sale, advertising and consumption of tobacco products. Mwanza said the continued delay in enacting such legislation places Zambia in a position of non-compliance with its international obligations and exposes its population to preventable harm. He stated that the Tobacco Control Bill must therefore be understood not merely as a policy initiative but as a fulfilment of a long-standing legal duty. Mwanza observed that reports of young citizens, some as young as 25, succumbing to throat cancer point to an alarming trend that can no longer be ignored. He noted that the widespread abuse of products such as shisha and smokeless tobacco further exacerbates this crisis, contributing to cancers and other chronic illnesses. He stated that without a legal framework to regulate access, advertising and consumption, tobacco products continue to proliferate unchecked across the country. Mwanza added that the current regulatory environment is dangerously inadequate, as selling tobacco products requires little more than a general trading licence. He explained that this has created a situation where cigarettes and other tobacco products are sold freely, even in close proximity to schools and universities. He stated that the presence of tobacco vendors near primary and secondary schools directly exposes young people to harmful substances. Mwanza said the lack of restriction not only normalises tobacco use among minors but actively encourages early addiction. He observed that while the tobacco industry generates profits, these gains are disproportionately outweighed by the costs incurred by the state. He stated that Zambia collects relatively low taxes from tobacco businesses yet spends millions treating nicotine-related illnesses. Mwanza explained that this creates a clear economic imbalance where private companies benefit financially while the public sector bears the burden of healthcare costs. He said where profit motives operate without adequate regulation, the result is often aggressive marketing and increased accessibility among vulnerable populations. Mwanza stated that government's role is not to eliminate business activity but to establish a fair and responsible balance that safeguards public health. He observed that other countries in the region such as South Africa have successfully implemented tobacco control measures to curb similar challenges. Mwanza said the prolonged failure to enact comprehensive tobacco control legislation points to a deeper structural problem involving the influence of powerful commercial interests. He stated that there is a growing concern that elements within government leadership have been susceptible to regulatory capture by big tobacco businesses. He explained that these interests have every incentive to resist stricter controls and have influenced both the executive and Parliament to delay meaningful regulation. Mwanza said the result has been legislative paralysis that serves commercial interests at the expense of national well-being. He stated that enacting the Tobacco Control Bill would signal a decisive shift, placing public health above vested interests and restoring confidence in the State. Mwanza added that failure to act now would not only perpetuate preventable harm but would reinforce the perception that policymaking can be undermined by commercial influence. He said passing the Bill is more than a policy decision but a test of political will, institutional integrity and commitment to the protection of human life.