Gen Zs turn to chewable tobacco and vapes amidst addiction crisis

E-Cigarrate. (Courtesy)

Collins Mutisya, a third-year university student at a local university, pinches his lower lip and carefully uses his other hand to place tobacco between his lip and lower gum. He smiles sheepishly as he turns to speak.

“I started using Chavez while still in high school. A fellow student introduced me to it and since then, I have been using it. I always told myself that I would stop one day, but it has been more than six years. To be honest, I don’t think it is as bad as people claim, though I can’t do without. It’s just like our parents can’t go a day without taking tea, often complaining of headaches or not seeing well,” he explains.

The 22-year-old says almost all his peers use the drug as it gives them a cheap high. He is not alone as many youths are addicted.

“I use it when chewing muguka (khat leaves), and some people can take alcohol and weed while doing Chavez or Ruara. This stuff is sneaked into schools in ways that teachers can’t even fathom,” he intimates.

A small sachet goes for as little as Sh10 depending on how deep your pockets are, you can buy as much as you want.  

On a weekend night, billows of smoke rise to the rooftops as party goers in a popular Nairobi joint party all night long. The aluta experience has taken over most clubs with a day or two dedicated to those in love with the chewy twigs and leaves. Amidst the festivities, shisha, e-cigarettes and vapes and normal cigarettes reign supreme.

For 24-year-old Cynthia (not her real name), her struggle with vapes and nicotine pouches has strained her relationship with her parents. She has become addicted to the harmful smoke and occasionally indulges in shisha. Although the product was banned in the country, its use persists despite warnings of dire consequences.

“I normally satisfy my nicotine cravings using nicotine pouches, which are available in different strengths. Dots that range from 1 to 6 or higher are typically used to indicate the strength of these pouches. The nicotine content increases with the number of dots. For instance, more potent varieties, indicated by 3-6 dots, may contain anywhere from 8 to 17mg of nicotine, whereas pouches in the 2-4 strength range have roughly 6–11 mg. Users can select a strength from this range based on their tolerance or degree of craving,” she says.

“I began when the company was still known as Lyft, around 2019 or 2020, and started using nicotine packets for the first time. I think it was less than a week before I began craving them. I’ve made a few attempts to quit, and occasionally, I manage to go a day or two without using them, but I keep going back because of the pleasurable feeling they provide,” she adds.

She says strong head rush was one of the first side effects I noticed from using nicotine pouches. For a while, everything felt like it was spinning, and soon after, her bowel movements began to happen more frequently.

Fortunately, after the pouch is removed, the effects usually dissipate within a few minutes. Despite these drawbacks, nicotine pouches continue to provide an alluring experience for those looking for the pleasure and a rush.

Public health crisis 

In 2021, The National Authority for the Campaign against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (Nacada) conducted an assessment of Emerging Drugs and Substance Use survey in Kenya.

The findings showed an emerging trend in the use of smokeless tobacco, nicotine pouches and e-cigarettes or vaping devices.

The use of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems and Electronic Non-Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS/ENNDS) is rising alarmingly, particularly among the youth.

These devices, which heat and aerosolize nicotine liquids or tobacco products, are being aggressively marketed as safer alternatives or effective tools for smoking cessation—a narrative the public has unfortunately embraced.

Kenya, like 38 other countries, has attempted to curb this uptake by imposing taxes on ENDS/ENNDS. Despite these efforts, affordability of these products remains dangerously high.

For example, the tax rate for electronic devices and nicotine delivery systems is only 40 per cent of the retail price, with cartridges for e-cigarettes similarly taxed at 40 per cent. Even worse, liquid nicotine for cartridges is taxed at just Sh74.41 per milliliter—an insufficient deterrent that makes these products easily accessible, especially to young people.

“The indulgence of tobacco products has left the country facing a significant public health crisis driven by rampant use of tobacco products, particularly among vulnerable groups such as youth and low-income populations. While tobacco companies attempt to block progress with false claims about taxation, the truth is that higher tobacco taxes remain one of the most effective strategies to reduce consumption, prevent disease, and generate revenue for public health programmes,” says David Odhiambo, the Executive Director of Den of Hope Youth Group.

Odhiambo says tobacco use is a leading cause of preventable deaths, with more than eight million people globally dying each year because of tobacco-related illnesses.

“In Kenya, tobacco consumption continues to disproportionately impact young people and low-income communities, who are highly sensitive to price changes. Despite efforts to curb this epidemic, the rise of novel nicotine products like e-cigarettes threatens to derail progress, as these products often escape the rigorous taxation imposed on traditional tobacco products,” he notes.

Taxation gaps

While traditional tobacco products like cigarettes are taxed, there are significant gaps in the taxation of novel products such as e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches. These products have grown in popularity, particularly among young people, but they are not taxed at the same rates as traditional cigarettes, leading to a regulatory loophole. This discrepancy has allowed the tobacco industry to market these novel products as cheaper alternatives, undermining public health efforts to reduce tobacco use.

“The use of ENDS/ENNDS is rising alarmingly, particularly among the youth. These devices, which heat and aerosolize nicotine liquids or tobacco products, are being aggressively marketed as safer alternatives or effective tools for smoking cessation—a narrative the public has unfortunately embraced,” he says.

 “Working with young people on issues surrounding tobacco taxation reveals the harsh reality that, despite various policies, tobacco products remain dangerously affordable and accessible. For marginalized groups, particularly the youth, the financial implications of this accessibility are severe. While products like cigarettes and Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) are cheap, treating tobacco-related disorders, such as addiction and non-communicable diseases (NCDs), is incredibly expensive. This imbalance disproportionately affects young people, many of whom already face significant economic challenges,” says Martha Kombe, a youth advocate and programmes manager with Den of Hope Youth Group, based in Nairobi.

“Tobacco use is one of the leading causes of Non-Communicable-Diseases (NCDs), and it is also a fact that cigarette smoke has been found to contain more than 7,000 chemicals (HHS, 2010) meaning that inhaling cigarette smoke exposes the smoker to toxins that have a range of short and long-term health effects. This is why we are up in arms against it,” she adds.

Dr Paul Njogu, a psychiatrist with a local hospital, has seen it all especially when dealing with young addicts.

“One of the things we deal with is increased levels of anxiety and depression. Although some may utilize tobacco as a form of self-medication, long-term consumption can aggravate anxiety and depression symptoms.

The other effect is on cognitive impairments with prolonged tobacco use which can detrimentally affect cognitive functions, such as memory and attention span. The other effects is social and behavioral complications as the use of tobacco can lead to social isolation and various behavioral issues, particularly if it incites conflicts with family or social circles,” he says.