Experts in African public health advocate for tobacco legislation based on science.

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– If you're looking for a cheap way to kick your addiction to alcohol, tobacco, or opioids, there's a new drug on the market that may be just what you're looking for. It's called buprenorphine, and it's currently only available in pharmacies in Egypt, but it's about to hit the US market, the New York Times reports. The drug, which is used to treat opioid addiction, is currently only available in pharmacies in Egypt, but it's expected to be in wide circulation in the country within a few months, thanks to President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi's recent pardon of the country's most notorious drug trafficker, drug trafficker Mohammed Eltaweel. It's not clear when buprenorphine will be available to the general public, but it's a cost-effective way to treat opioid addiction, one that's proven effective in Egypt. "It is imperative that harm reduction be incorporated into tobacco regulation," says Vivian Manyeki, a public health expert in Kenya. "This strategy not only lessens harm but also makes it possible for policy to change in a way that safeguards public health and provides people who want to cut back on or stop using tobacco

In order to better support harm reduction initiatives and enhance public health outcomes, public health specialists throughout Africa are calling for the use of science-led approaches in tobacco legislation and policy formulation. According to the experts who convened in Nairobi for the fourth Harm Reduction Exchange, harm reduction is crucial to reducing the detrimental effects that drugs like alcohol, tobacco, and opioids have on one’s health, society, and legal status.

Kenyan public health expert Vivian Manyeki stressed that governments should incorporate harm reduction strategies in addition to strengthening tobacco control laws. These strategies include increasing access to harm reduction tools like nicotine replacement therapies (NRT) and allocating tobacco tax revenues to public health programs. “It is imperative that harm reduction be incorporated into tobacco regulation,” she stated. “This strategy not only lessens harm but also makes it possible for policy to change in a way that safeguards public health and provides people who want to cut back on or stop using tobacco with good alternatives.”

The Zimbabwe Civil Liberties and Drug Network’s Projects Executive Director, Wilson Box, emphasised how different African regulatory environments are. He noted that although some African nations have tobacco laws that comply with the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) of the World Health Organisation, others struggle to enact efficient regulations because of a lack of funding.

On his part, Mohammed Eltaweel of Egypt discussed how his nation has used harm reduction techniques to lessen the cost of tobacco and opiate abuse on public health. In order to improve public health outcomes, he emphasised Egypt’s cost-effective initiatives, such as allowing buprenorphine to be used for treating opioid addiction and encouraging regulated alternatives to traditional cigarettes.

Policymakers, public health specialists, media professionals, and representatives from the Bar, Hotels, and Liquor Traders Association (BAHLITA) were among the many stakeholders who attended the conference to discuss the urgent need for evidence-based strategies to lessen the negative effects of alcohol, tobacco, and other substances.