Civil society concerned about new forms of smoking

The Cameroon Coalition against tobacco denounced the consumption of chicha and e-smoking among youth while still awaiting the vote of an anti-smoking law.

Therefore, the Cameroon Coalition against tobacco (C3T) qualified the intake of E-cigarette and the chicha in the cities of Cameroon, at the end of an Exchange with the press last Tuesday.

"Smoking from a chicha contains as many pollutants of carbon monoxide that approximately 15 to 20 cigarettes and nicotine contain and leads to an increased risk of dependence," they explained.

"The existing data show that the aerosol produced by the electronic nicotine inhalers is not just water vapor, as simply claim marketing strategies", noted the C3T for the issue of the E-cigarette, quoting the World Health Organization.

Unlike conventional cigarettes, on which advertising is prohibited in Cameroon, civil society pointed out that the E-cigarette has meanwhile a legal vacuum which allows the display of the product and its marketing to every wind. It suggests in this respect the regulation of trade in this product and the Chicha, at least as regards the legal drinking age.

The good news however is that it is not the products accessible with little money. There is need to pay on average 13,500 CFAF to acquire an E-cigarette, by providing 5000 CFA francs for the monthly refills. Smoking chicha is relatively cheaper, 1500 F CFA on average. Pretty important price compared to cigarettes, of which the stick, for some brands, costs 15 F CFA in Cameroon and package from 300 F CFA.