In Senegal, there has been a decrease in adult smoking, but further efforts are needed.

A recent survey indicates that national anti-tobacco laws and other tobacco control measures related to the WHO treaty implemented in Senegal have contributed to a significant decrease in tobacco consumption.[1]. However, the results highlight that further actions are still needed to consolidate the progress made and ensure its sustainability.

A low prevalence of smoking in Senegal, thanks to the implementation of the measures of the FCTC

Having ratified the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) on January 27, 2005, Senegal has progressively implemented strict anti-tobacco measures, such as the prohibition of selling tobacco to minors and selling single cigarettes, or the integration into its legislation of the obligation to protect its public policies from interference by the tobacco industry, in accordance with Article 5.3 of the FCTC.

Senegal has also specifically adopted the measures of the WHO's MPOWER program, a set of six technical measures extracted from the FCTC aimed at reducing tobacco demand.[2] :

Since 2002, Senegal has been regularly monitoring tobacco use among young people through the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS). Since 2015, the country has also been regularly monitoring tobacco use among adults as part of its 2018-2023 National Strategic Plan for Tobacco Control, notably through the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS). This survey is a key tool for understanding consumption trends, evaluating the effectiveness of public policies, and identifying areas requiring stronger interventions.

First conducted in 2015 and then repeated in 2023, this survey highlighted the positive impact of Senegal's tobacco reduction policy: the most recent results show a decrease of more than 25% in tobacco consumption among adults since 2015. In 2023, 4.4% of Senegalese adults (8.2% of men and 0.8% of women) were tobacco users (smoking tobacco, smokeless tobacco, and/or heated tobacco), a level among the lowest on the African continent.[3].

Furthermore, the 2014 anti-smoking law prohibits smoking in public places, particularly in and around healthcare facilities, administrative buildings, and schools. This also applies to other places used as workplaces or for other purposes. Awareness campaigns and enforcement actions are regularly carried out, especially in restaurants, bars, and nightclubs, to ensure compliance.

Furthermore, with a view to informing consumers but also to preventing harm to those around smokers, illustrated health warnings covering 70% of the main surfaces of packs were introduced in 2017 to strengthen information on the risks associated with tobacco.

In addition, to support smoking cessation, a freephone number from the Ministry of Health is displayed on cigarette packs and smoking cessation training is offered to healthcare professionals.

Senegal has also been implementing a total ban on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship since 2014.

Finally, taxation on tobacco products has also been strengthened, with an increase in the excise tax from 45 % to 65 % in 2015, thus increasing the price of cigarette packs and making them less affordable, particularly for young adults and low-income populations.

However, stronger measures are needed to counter aggressive marketing by the industry and the ongoing exposure to secondhand smoke.

Despite these combined measures that have led to this decrease in prevalence, the survey reveals that the tobacco industry is not standing still. Like its counterparts worldwide, it is actively developing a strategy to promote new tobacco and nicotine products, such as e-cigarettes, nicotine pouches, and heated tobacco products. Two tobacco companies stand out in particular: Philip Morris International (PMI) and British American Tobacco (BAT).

These new products are marketed in Senegal through channels likely to reach young people, in particular social networks, sponsorship and promotions at cultural events such as festivals and concerts, but also through the use of attractive aromas and packaging.

Furthermore, the survey revealed that enforcement of smoking bans remained insufficient. Approximately one in five adults working indoors and/or frequenting restaurants remained exposed to secondhand smoke, and nearly 75% of adults reported being exposed in nightclubs and bars. As the UNFCCC (Common Front for Tobacco Control) reminds us, exposure to secondhand smoke "causes illness, disability and death.".

In this context, Bintou Camara Bityeki, Africa Program Director of the anti-tobacco NGO Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, welcomes the progress made by Senegal while calling for the adoption of additional regulatory measures, including the adoption of proposed amendments to strengthen the anti-tobacco law with the extension of smoke-free public spaces and their enforcement, in order to strengthen the protection of the population and continue the reduction of smoking.

Although Senegal is one of the leading countries in Africa in the fight against tobacco, the resources allocated to the fight against smoking remain very limited. The Senegalese Ministry of Health allocated only 40,000 euros to tobacco control in 2024, prompting the Pan-African Institute for Citizenship, Consumers and Development (CICODEV Africa) to call for increased funding for tobacco control., Otherwise, the progress made risks being quickly called into question.

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[1]Bintou Camara Bityeki, Survey Finds Senegal's Tobacco Control Laws are Working, But Further Action Needed to Keep Up Progress, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, published December 29, 2025, accessed December 31, 2025

[2]GATS – Global Adult Tobacco Survey, Comparison Fact Sheet Senegal 2015 & 2023, Published on November 10, 2025, accessed on December 31, 2025

[3]GATS – Global Adult Tobacco Survey, Fact Sheet Senegal 2023, Published on November 10, 2025, accessed on December 31, 2025

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