The African Tobacco Control Alliance (ATCA) has alerted Nigeria to a push by British American Tobacco (BAT) for Pakistan to export small packs of cigarettes, known as ‘kiddie’ packs, to Africa. In a statement backed by 60 public health advocates, representing 54 organisations from 25 African countries, ATCA appealed to the government of Pakistan to “Protect the world’s children: Do not allow British American Tobacco to export kiddie packs of cigarettes to Sudan (Africa).” ATCA noted that BAT’s plan, if not stopped, would see BAT’s subsidiary Pakistan Tobacco Company (PTC) manufacture and export 10-stick cigarette packs to war-torn Sudan.
The 20-cigarette per-pack rule is the global standard for the protection of children. Kiddie packs are packs with less than 20 cigarettes, which makes it easier, cheaper, and more likely that children will buy them. More than 180 countries, including Nigeria, Pakistan and Sudan, are signatories to the World Health Organisation (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), which requires them to prohibit the sale of cigarettes individually or in small packets that increase the affordability of such products to minors.
No fewer than 82 countries have also enacted laws requiring a minimum of 20 sticks a pack. ATCA added: “We, public health advocates in countries across the African continent have worked tirelessly for years for the adoption and implementation of tobacco control laws and policies. Just like in Pakistan, the.
