Mozambique’s parliament has approved a new tobacco control law introducing strict limits on the sale, advertising and use of tobacco and nicotine products in what officials say is a major step toward reducing the country’s tobacco‑related disease burden.
The legislation, adopted by consensus, expands regulation to include electronic cigarettes, heated tobacco, vapour products and other emerging nicotine delivery systems.
The law aligns Mozambique with the World Health Organisation’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, the first global public‑health treaty, which has been in force since 2005 and requires member states to implement measures that reduce tobacco consumption and protect people from exposure to smoke.
Officials say the new legislation strengthens the country’s ability to meet these obligations by establishing a comprehensive legal framework for smoke‑free environments, product restrictions and public‑health protections.
Presenting the bill, Justice Minister Mateus Saíze said tobacco use remains one of Mozambique’s most serious health challenges, contributing to cancers, congenital disorders, premature births and other chronic diseases.
He warned that smokeless tobacco – often marketed as a safer alternative – carries health risks equal to or greater than smoked products, including cancers of the mouth, oesophagus and pancreas.
Government data shows tobacco kills 9,400 Mozambicans each year, representing 3.5 percent of all deaths, with most occurring among people under 70.
Saíze said the economic toll is equally severe, costing the country an estimated 11.7 billion meticais (about $182 million) annually, or 1.3 percent of GDP, through health‑care expenses and productivity losses linked to illness and premature deaths.
JN/APA