Keep cigarettes far from school children, TOFAZA Youth Advocate Kumbuso Phiri prods Zambian government
Tobacco Free Association of Zambia (TOFAZA) Youth Advocate Kumbuso Phiri
By Hellen Bwalya
In a Sunday 11th January, 2026 Press Statement by Tobacco Free Association of Zambia (TOFAZA) Youth Advocate Kumbuso Phiri laments that Big Tobacco firms continue to use clever marketing ploys targeting school children in Zambia.
In a lamentation issued on the eve of schools opening on Monday 12th January 2026, Mr. Phiri regretted that Tobacco companies continue taking advantage of Zambia’s weak tobacco control environment and using clever marketing tricks such as smaller packs, single cigarettes and flavoured cigarettes to lure young school children to smoking cigarettes.
Phiri observed that most of tobacco products advertising takes place near school surroundings in convenience stores and through push carts making cigarettes and other tobacco products easily accessible and affordable to young children.
“The aim of tobacco manufacturers, is to create a new generation of smokers to maintain and expand the lucrative business of tobacco sales.
Increased smoking trends among children and adolescents have become a national concern. Most research shows that about sixty percent (60% )of smokers started the habit at the age thirteen (13) and were ninety percent (90%) hooked by the time they hit a 20-year-old mark, and with the absence of tobacco control measures the tobacco industry aggressive sale and marketing strategies which target young people has increased in Zambia,” noted Phiri.
To curb this vulnerability, Phiri implored the Zambia government to urgently take serious action and a critical step in adopting and implementing comprehensive tobacco control policies.
Since Zambia ratified the United Nations World Health Organization Framework Convention for Tobacco Control (UN-WHO-FCTC) on Friday 23rd May, 2008, she (Zambia) has legal and moral obligation to take measures to protect her population, particularly vulnerable groups like children.
Phiri restated a concern that the tobacco industry uses four (4) major strategies to market its products to children around schools in Zambia; • Advertising and promotion, • Sale of single cigarettes, and • Sale of child-friendly favoured cigarettes.
Phiri named the British American Tobacco (BAT) and Philip Morris International (PMI) as two main culprits keen on intensive marketing strategies around schools that encourage tobacco use among children.
“Cigarettes are advertised on or behind the counters in the stores and other tobacco products on posters on the structures, buildings and sidewalks. The advertisement using umbrellas, sale girls pictures and in windows and doors of convenience stores or grocers are also used.
The tobacco products are also displayed alongside non-tobacco products, such as sweets and biscuits, which deliberately mislead children to believe cigarettes are just like any other product they buy,” noted Phiri.
Speaking as a TOFAZA Youth Advocate, Phiri is worried that cigarettes are equally being sold mostly in form of single cigarette stick, which are cheaper.
“Studies have shown that young children buy single cigarettes as they can smoke them straight away in the street and avoid the problem of detection. These single cigarette sales are believed to encourage smoking by minors, many of whom cannot afford to buy an entire pack at one time. Selling single cigarettes undermines the public health benefits of health warning messages displayed on cigarette packs, as buyers of single cigarettes, including children, are not exposed to these messages,” observed Phiri.
Further, Phiri cries foul that flavoured cigarettes are considered a “starter” product which facilitates tobacco initiation, a ploy utilised by Big Tobacco firms.
“The flavours make the tobacco products sweet and appealing to children and mask the harshness of nicotine and tobacco smoke.
The aggressive marketing strategies by tobacco companies will contribute to a major epidemic of tobacco use in Zambia. This would cause unprecedented health, economic, social and environmental consequences. To tackle this, urgent legislative and enforcement measures should be taken to ban the marketing of tobacco products to children and protect their health. Tobacco products should also be banned from being sold outside schools to save the young generation and school children,” pleaded Phiri.
Phiri implored the Zambian government to urgently adopt legislation prohibiting the sale of tobacco products within a prescribed perimeter around schools.
In addition, Phiri is urging the Zambian government to ban the manufacturing, importation and sale of flavoured tobacco products, small packaging and cigarettes sold separately to minors.
“Signage must be displayed in all retail outlets, warning children on dangers associated with consumption of tobacco products,” pleaded Phiri.
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