An estimated 10 per cent of school-going children aged between 13 and 15 years use tobacco products, the Ministry of Health has now revealed.
During the launch of the national guidelines for tobacco dependence treatment and cessation 2017, the Ministry of Health revealed that more girls are taking up smoking than boys.
Speaking during the World No Tobacco Day (WNTD), Deputy Director of Medical Services Patrick Amoth said the youth had taken up other tobacco products such as shisha, electronic cigarettes and tobacco chewing.
Amoth said 15 per cent of disposable income was spent on tobacco, leaving very little for basic necessities.
Tobacco Control Board Secretary Kepha Ombacho said tobacco-related non-communicable diseases were at par with communicable diseases, causing a burden on the country.
Mr Ombacho urged the Judiciary to hasten a court case by British American Tobacco (BAT) challenging regulations that, among other things, force companies to put graphic and text health warnings on cigarette packets and disclose tobacco product ingredients.