Vaping loopholes are endangering children and the environment in Nigeria and Burkina Faso

There are no laws to regulate vaping or for proper disposal of e-cigarettes

Originally published on Global Voices

This story was written by Elfredah Kevin-Alerechi, Elza Sandrine Sawadogo and Kevin Woke, and was originally published by The Colonist Report Africa. A shortened version is republished on Global Voices as part of a content-sharing agreement.

Vapes (e-cigarettes) have flooded African markets, and no government plans are in place for proper disposal. A variety of vape products are sold in popular markets, superstores, and local shops in Nigeria and Burkina Faso, and some are sold via WhatsApp groups in schools. The majority of the vapes The Colonist Report saw contained between 2 and 5 percent nicotine, according to the product description.

With no proper disposal plans in place in Nigeria and Burkina Faso, disposable vapes are recklessly dumped in public places alongside other waste products, sometimes ending up in rivers. This clearly shows the environmental consequences of vaping in African countries and the difficulty of recycling vaping devices.

Research shows that these e-cigarette aerosols contain substances such as formaldehyde and acetaldehyde, which are known carcinogens. In addition, it appears that some of the flavours of e-liquids can be toxic to lung cells and interfere with the immune system. Inhaling e-cigarette aerosol may also be associated with respiratory irritation, increased risk of asthma, and chronic lung disease.

In 2019, the United States experienced an epidemic of EVALI (E-cigarette or Vaping Use-Associated Lung Injury), causing hospitalizations and deaths. E-liquids should be regulated and quality controlled because illegally manufactured THC and vitamin E acetate in vapes are suspected as the main causes.

Vapes in Africa

Ms. Ouédraogo, a mother of three in Burkina Faso, was shocked to see the vape tube in her 14-year-old son's school bag. When she asked him, he said it was a toy. “I had doubts, so I approached other parents, and one of them confirmed to me that it was a recharging electronic cigarette. That’s how I knew my child was smoking.” 

Many African parents are unfamiliar with vapes, and their ignorance prevents them from recognising these products when their children are introduced to them.

Although the use of tobacco products is prohibited for people under the age of 18, the tobacco laws of both Nigeria and Burkina Faso do not explicitly mention or regulate vaping.

Ms. Ouédraogo told The Colonist Report that the vapes in her son’s bag didn’t smell like cigarettes. “I never saw him with it and his lips didn’t turn black. That’s often the sign that we are looking for, but with this thing, I didn’t notice anything.”

According to her, the son, who attends a private high school in the city of Ouagadougou gets the vape from the WhatsApp groups his classmates created. “They exchange tips and also go to shops where refills of cigarettes are on sale,” she said.

The 38-year-old mother, who is still in shock from learning that her son vapes, sought advice and counsel from a women’s group in her community: “The testimonies they shared with me showed me that the phenomenon is growing.”

Environmental damage

The World Health Organization (WHO) published a document in 2022 on the link between tobacco and the environment. Already at that time, WHO warned of the additional damage caused to the environment by the inadequate disposal of electronic waste (e-waste) originating from electronic nicotine delivery systems such as e-cigarettes, single-use electronic and heated tobacco products, which generate toxic emissions and waste.

The lack of regulation in Nigeria and Burkina Faso, unlike in the United Kingdom (UK) where appropriate e-waste collection and disposal measures are in place, has endangered the environment. Users indiscriminately litter vape pouches with other rubbish, some of which pollute the air when burned, while others may kill fish and harm biodiversity when disposed of in rivers due to the nicotine in vapes.

Research has shown that “[n]icotine and other toxins from second-hand smoke easily dissolve in water and even small amounts can be very harmful and even deadly to fish.”

Health impacts

Professor Best Ordinoha from the community medicine department of the University of Port Harcourt School Teaching Hospital (UPTH), Nigeria has been treating patients suffering from the effects of vapes. He told us that the short-term effects of vaping are mild and easily treatable, but they typically manifest within a few days. They include irritation of the throat and mouth caused by contact with the vapour, which can lead to cough, catarrh, and respiratory infections.

Does vaping need strict rules?

In the European Union, e-cigarettes are regulated by directive, which sets the maximum nicotine content of e-liquids at 20 mg/ml and introduces an obligation for manufacturers and sellers to register their products and provide information on their ingredients. E-cigarettes may not be sold to people under 18, and advertising is severely restricted.

The UK government has banned disposable vapes due to their appeal to children under 18.

Burkina Faso and Nigeria – tobacco struggles

At the beginning of 2024, a civil society organisation fighting against tobacco in Burkina Faso, Africa (ACONTA) met with the Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene. The talks included the launch of the 2023 report on the tobacco industry interference index in Burkina Faso and the current challenges of tobacco control.

On this last point, recommendations were made to the department to strengthen the anti-smoking legislation. “To keep pace with the challenges of the fight and counter the actions of the tobacco industry, the association recommended that new and emerging products be included in the legislation. These include Shisha, e-cigarettes, and heated tobacco with or without nicotine,” explains the interim coordinator. 

Since 2015, when the former president of Nigeria, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, signed the National Tobacco Control Act, the law has not been effectively implemented.

Nigeria’s National Tobacco Control Act prohibits the sale of tobacco and tobacco products to and by a minor (below 18 years); however, findings by researchers and by The Colonist Report Africa show that under 18 year-olds are being sold tobacco, especially in areas like Port Harcourt, Lagos, including northern communities facing insecurity issues.

Akinbode Oluwafemi, executive director of Corporate Accountability and Public Partnership Africa (CAPPA), a government watchdog organisation that has been pressuring the government to implement the tobacco control law, stated that there is a need for the  Nigerian government to protect people and children from the dangers of vaping.

Oluwafemi told us that the tobacco industry claims vapes are “harm reduction products,” but “Nigeria does not need harm reduction products; we need very strong tobacco laws.”

For more than two decades, Oluwafemi has advocated for a tobacco-free nation to protect Africans from the harmful effects of tobacco products. He said Nigeria’s National Tobacco Control Act has a loophole that needs to be closed:

“The science of vaping is not clear. When the science is not clear, vapes should be avoided,” adding, “We have begun to educate people about cigarettes because the government cannot come out and ban them.”

This story is supported by JournalismFundEurope.

 

Written by The Colonist Report