Tobacco Bill sparks controversy over jobs and public health in Zambia

A heated debate is raging in Zambia pitting health advocates and industrialists over a controversial Tobacco Control Bill that is before Parliament. 

The Bill seeks to, among others, “provide for the protection of present and future generations from the devastating health, social, environmental and economic consequences of tobacco use.” 

It also seeks to regulate the manufacturing, advertising, promotion, sponsorship, distribution, sale, and importation of tobacco and nicotine products and devices.

But the toughest provisions of the Bill are in Part 3, which almost criminalises interaction between government and the tobacco industry, leaving manufacturers wondering how they can operate without interacting with regulators. 

The industry case

Business leaders have condemned the Bill, arguing that if enacted as is, it will effectively kill the tobacco industry. 

“While we acknowledge the government’s commitment to public health and regulatory reform, the Bill in its current form poses significant risks to the country’s economy, employment and trade balance,” the Zambia Association of Manufacturers (ZAM) said in a statement. 

“The Bill also presents a direct threat to the viability of the tobacco industry, signalling the government’s intent to phase out the sector entirely, which would have devastating economic consequences.”

According to ZAM, the tobacco industry contributes over $25 million in taxes annually and supports over 500,000 jobs across the value chain including farmers, traders, transporters, processors, retailers and other support industries.

Industry leaders also warn that restricting tobacco will not end smoking, but instead fuel a surge in illegal imports from neighbouring countries, creating a thriving black market beyond regulation and taxation.

Economists and thinktanks have called for the withdrawal of the Bill to pave way for wider consultation with stakeholders. 

“At its core, the Bill reflects a broader and recurring problem in policy design across many developing economies, the tendency to import global frameworks wholesale without sufficient adaptation to local economic realities,” says Dr Lubinda Haabazoka, associate professor of business studies at the University of Zambia.

“Zambia does not need copy and paste laws. It needs context-sensitive legislation that balances economic structure, employment, revenue sustainability, and institutional capacity.”

The anti-smoking lobby presses on

Despite industry making its case, the anti-smoking lobby is unrelenting and has dismissed calls for government to withdraw the Bill, saying such demands are contrary to public health interests. 

“Let us be clear: tobacco is a net economic liability. Its costs—burdened health systems, lost productivity, and premature mortality—far outweigh its diminishing economic contribution,” the Centre for Trade Policy and Development told the parliamentary committee scrutinising the Bill.  

Paxina Phiri, chairperson of the Zambia Media Network Against Tobacco, adds: “Tobacco use remains a major public health concern in Zambia, contributing to more than 7,000 deaths annually. Data from the Cancer Diseases Hospital indicates that a significant proportion of cancer cases in the country are linked to tobacco use.”

A joint study by the UN and Zambia’s Ministry of Health estimates that these deaths cost the country up to 1.2% of  its GDP. 

Globally, the World Health Organisation (WHO) reports that tobacco kills more than 7 million people each year, including an estimated 1.6 million non-smokers who are exposed to second-hand smoke. 

Policy contradiction

Amid this debate, a striking policy contradiction emerges, perhaps a case of the right hand not knowing what the left is up to. On one hand, the Bill seeks to clamp down on tobacco. On the other, the Tobacco Board of Zambia (TBZ), an industry regulator under the Ministry of Agriculture, has set a production target of 120 million kilograms of tobacco for the 2025/2026 season, up from under 80 million kilograms recorded last season.   

“Tobacco is a key contributor to Zambia’s economy, and we remain committed to enhancing its growth and long-term sustainability,” says TBZ executive director, Robert Mwale.

The Bill has been long in the making. In 2008, Zambia signed the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, and since then, the anti-smoking lobby has been pushing the government to domesticate the treaty. Initially, the tobacco industry paid little attention, perhaps assuming the call for tighter controls would remain a moral debate with negligible implications.  

But the proponents’ advocacy paid off when government drafted the Bill and took it to Parliament. Its content stunned industry.

Globally, governments face the tension between protecting public health and benefitting from tobacco-related revenue and jobs, though the balance may differ from country to country.

From the Zambia debate so far, business is calling for a middle ground that safeguards both livelihoods and health, while the public health camp remains uncompromising.