煙草在線據新時代報道編譯　　東非共同體(EAC)政府將增加煙草稅產品的稅收以抵制吸煙。

　　據非洲的煙草控制中心稱，在非洲東部，煙草產品的稅收低，這使得許多人們購買卷煙容易。該中心，即世界衛生組織的一個機構指出，這增加了患癌癥和其他相關疾病的風險。

　　它補充說，除了減少煙草消費外，對該行業征收重稅將幫助東非共同體國家增加稅收收入，用于推進公共衛生項目。

　　“與世界上其他地方相比，在非洲，煙草產品的稅收政策不嚴格。東非共同體國家應該采取能更有效地減少煙草消費的稅收和價格措施，”最近在基加利召開的一個研討會上該中心的經理Possy Mugyenyi說。

　　研討會吸引了100多名政要，包括該地區的衛生官員和政客們，討論在抵制癌癥中控制煙草使用的措施。

　　“我們還必須禁止煙草廣告和贊助，以及禁止行業所使用的所有的營銷策略，以減少煙草使用，”Mugyenyi說。

　　所有5個東非共同體成員國都是世衛組織的《煙草控制框架公約》的簽約國，但只有肯尼亞一個全面的控煙法律到位。在盧旺達，卷煙的最高消費稅為150%，其次是天然氣、石油和潤滑油的為76%，酒類和葡萄酒的為70%。

　　據該聯盟的農業部門主任Narcisse Ndagijimana稱，然而，由于煙農不是在盧旺達的私營聯盟部門注冊的，他們很難使意識到生產的危險。

　　“在盧旺達，煙草沒有被廣泛種植……幾十年來這種農作物是一些盧旺達人的生計來源。但是我們計劃加強敏化活動、培訓，并教他們如何種植替代作物，”Ndagijimana在電話采訪中說。

　　世界衛生組織的統計表明，煙草殺死三分之一的終身用戶，而與煙草有關的疾病占到了成人死亡率的1/10。

　　據估計，每年有60萬人死于接觸二手煙，大多數因二手煙而死亡的是婦女和兒童。

East Africa: Who Calls for Heavy Taxes On Tobacco Products

　　The east African Community (EAC) governments should increase taxes on tobacco products to discourage smoking.

　　According to the Centre for Tobacco Control in Africa, taxes on tobacco products are low in East Africa, which makes it easy for many people to buy cigarettes. This increases the risk of catching cancer and other related diseases, the centre, which is an arm of the World Health Organisation, noted.

　　It added that, besides reducing tobacco consumption, taxing the sector heavily would help EAC countries raise revenue for programmes that advance public health.

　　"Taxation policies on tobacco products are less stringent in Africa than in other parts of the world…EAC states should adopt tax and price measures that are more effective in reducing tobacco consumption," Possy Mugyenyi, the centre manager, said during a seminar in Kigali recently.

　　The seminar attracted over 100 dignitaries, including health officials and politicians from the region to discuss measures of curbing tobacco use in the fight against cancer.

　　"We must also ban the tobacco advertisement and sponsorships and use of all marketing strategies by the industry to reduce tobacco use," Mugyenyi said.

　　All five EAC member states are party to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, but only Kenya has a comprehensive tobacco control law in place. Cigarettes attract the highest consumption tax in Rwanda at 150 per cent, followed by gas, oil and lubricants at 76 per cent, with liquors and wines at 70 per cent.

　　However, since tobacco farmers are not registered by Rwanda's Private Sector Federation, it is hard to sensitise them on the dangers of the produce, according to Narcisse Ndagijimana, the agriculture division director at the federation.

　　"Tobacco is not widely grown in Rwanda…the crop has been the source of livelihood for some Rwandans for decades. But we plan to enhance sensitisation campaigns, train and teach them on how to grow alternative crops," Ndagijimana said in a phone interview.

　　Statistics by WHO indicate that tobacco kills one-third of all lifetime users, while tobacco-related illnesses account for one in 10 adult deaths.

　　It is also estimated that 600,000 individuals die annually from exposure to secondary smoke and that the majority of secondhand smoke deaths are among women and children. Enditem