A major international tobacco company is facing allegations of hypocrisy for its efforts to weaken proposed public health legislation in Zambia, a nation where it seeks regulatory concessions that are starkly at odds with laws already in force in its home market.
Correspondence obtained by this publication reveals that British American Tobacco’s Zambian subsidiary has formally petitioned the country’s government to abandon or postpone key measures in a draft tobacco control bill. The requested changes include significantly reducing the mandated size of graphic health warnings on cigarette packs, removing proposed bans on flavoured tobacco products, and diluting penalties for non-compliance with the new laws.
These positions stand in direct contrast to regulations long established in the United Kingdom, where the company is headquartered. UK law requires health warnings to cover 65% of cigarette packaging and has prohibited all flavoured cigarettes since 2020.
Public health advocates in Zambia have condemned the lobbying efforts. “This is the very definition of hypocrisy,” stated one local campaigner, who argued the company’s actions suggest a willingness to “protect the British people and perpetuate the death of the Zambian people.” According to World Health Organization estimates, tobacco-related illnesses claim over 7,000 lives in Zambia annually.
The proposed Zambian legislation aims to go beyond current UK standards in some areas, including applying regulations to e-cigarettes and mandating that health warnings cover 75% of product packaging. In its letter, the tobacco firm proposed reducing this requirement to 30-50% and implementing it only after a 12-month delay.
The company also argued against broad restrictions on flavoured products, claiming such a move would fuel the illicit trade, and instead suggested banning only a narrow list of flavours. It further contended that some proposed regulations could have “unwelcome and unexpected consequences.”
Critics counter that the suggested amendments would gut the bill’s public health impact. “They want to weaken this legislation so much that the long-term change needed for society will not be achieved,” the campaigner added, noting that strong tobacco control laws in other nations have not caused the industry to collapse but have served to protect citizens.
The incident has emerged amid broader warnings from global health authorities about increasing tobacco industry interference in policy-making processes worldwide, from delaying tax increases to stalling legislation.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the company’s Zambian operation said it participates in legislative processes “in line with relevant frameworks” for stakeholder engagement and is not opposed to regulation. The company stated it advocates for “progressive regulation” that considers “the realities of the Zambian market,” including illicit trade, while protecting youth from accessing tobacco.