Gambia: Training of lawyers and police officers in the fight against smoking

After intervening on the taxation of tobacco products, the World Health Organization participated in a new training in Gambia. This aimed to familiarize police officers and lawyers with anti-smoking legislation and its application.

“You contribute more to health issues than the health sector.” These were the words with which Momodou Gassama, a health promotion specialist with the World Health Organization (WHO), opened the training which took place at Tendaba Camp in Gambia. “All other sectors together contribute 55% of health issues. The health sector alone contributes only 45%.”

He was speaking at the training course set up by the Gambian Ministry of Health, with the support of WHO. Intended for lawyers and police officers, the training aimed to raise awareness of the challenges of tobacco control and the need to enforce regulations.[1].

Strengthening enforcement of anti-smoking laws

From 1^er As of November 3, 2023, police officers and lawyers have been trained on the challenges of the provisions to combat smoking. In particular, they have been made aware of the health, human and financial costs of smoking, which reinforces the challenge of their involvement in enforcing the texts in force. They have been explained the various provisions, laws and regulations, at the national, regional and international levels. Their skills to better enforce the texts have been strengthened. They have also been invited to develop cooperation between legal professionals and public health actors, in order to unite their efforts in the fight against smoking.

Two previous trainings on tax policy

Gambia had already benefited, in 2012 and 2018, from two other three-day training courses, undertaken under the aegis of the WHO.[2]The first was addressed to a team from the Ministry of Finance, with a view to revising the tax policy on tobacco products. In particular, it made it possible to increase tax revenues by moving from a system of taxation by weight to a system of taxation by type of cigarette pack. The second brought together members of the Ministries of Health and Finance, and strengthened the link between health policy and tobacco taxation. It detailed how to set up an annual tax per pack over four years, and to add a specific tax to finance the fight against smoking and the prevention of non-communicable diseases.

The importance given to the tax component led to a significant increase in the price of cigarettes, which was one of the lowest in Africa. It allowed The Gambia to triple its revenues from tobacco taxes between 2011 and 2018, while reducing smoking prevalence. At the same time, over this period, tobacco imports were reduced by 60 %, thus limiting the trade balance deficit. A relative decline in cigarette sales was also observed to the unit.

A country that still consumes a lot of tobacco

With an overall smoking prevalence of 13 % in 2019, including 25.4 % among men and 0.7 % among women, compared to 6 % in neighboring Senegal and 8.5 % in Côte d'Ivoire, Gambia is one of the most heavily smoked countries in sub-Saharan Africa. It ratified the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) in 2007 and the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco in 2017. It strengthened its fight against illicit trade in February 2023 by signing a partnership with the Swiss company SICPA SA, in order to better control the circulation of products imported into its territory.[3]Its anti-smoking legislation, the "Tobacco Control Act", dating from 2016, must be revised soon, like all regulations on tobacco products.

Keywords: Gambia, WHO, training, taxation, regulation

©Tobacco Free Generation

M.F.