Is social media fuelling Kenya’s tobacco crisis?

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Tobacco use remains one of Kenya’s deadliest public health threats. Globally, it causes over eight million deaths every year, including deaths from second-hand smoke.

In Kenya, tobacco-related diseases claim about 12,000 lives annually and cost the economy $2.2–3 for every $1 earned from the industry, as resources go into treating preventable illnesses.

A recent study conducted by the Consumer Information Network, the International Institute of Legislative Affairs, and the Kenya Tobacco Control and Health Promotion Alliance shows that tobacco companies are using influencers, lifestyle content, and online communities to promote nicotine products, despite existing advertising restrictions.

The research, carried out between September and December 2025, shows that 86 per cent of respondents use social media daily or multiple times per day, making platforms like Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, and X highly effective channels for marketing.

Youth aged 16 to 30 are the main target. About 79 per cent of respondents say this group is most exposed to online promotions linked to nicotine products. Influencers play a key role, embedding nicotine products in lifestyle posts, music videos, fashion content, and nightlife scenes.

About 93 per cent of respondents say influencers are either effective or very effective in promoting tobacco and nicotine products online. Many promotions are not clearly disclosed as paid advertisements, making them appear as authentic lifestyle choices.

Emerging nicotine products such as vapes, e-cigarettes, and nicotine pouches are heavily promoted. These products are often marketed as modern alternatives to traditional cigarettes. Bright colours, sleek packaging, gadget-like designs, and sweet flavours like mango, strawberry, and berry make them particularly appealing to young people.

In March 2025, the Consumer Information Network, the International Institute of Legislative Affairs, and KETCA show how nicotine pouches registered as pharmaceutical products in 2019 bypass tobacco control regulations, allowing freer marketing.

Earlier investigations, including the 2021 Tobacco Industry Interference Index and a 2020 report on industry lobbying, show how tobacco companies influence policy, sponsor events, and engage in corporate social responsibility campaigns that undermine regulation.

Concerns about online promotion of nicotine products are ongoing. In 2024, the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse warns social media influencers against promoting harmful substances, saying such content normalises drug and substance use among young audiences.

Tobacco remains a major public health threat. Health experts warn that normalisation of nicotine use through social media content could increase curiosity, experimentation, and addiction among young people.

Speaking during a breakfast meeting in Nairobi, CEO of the International Institute of Legislative Affairs( IILA), Celine Awuor said the rise of digital platforms creates new challenges for tobacco control.

“Online marketing tactics allow tobacco companies to bypass traditional advertising restrictions and reach young audiences more easily,” she says.

According to the lobby group, the Tobacco Control Act of 2007 bans most forms of advertising, promotion, and sponsorship, but it does not explicitly address digital marketing or influencer promotions. Cross-border content and covert tactics make monitoring and enforcement difficult.

The lobby recommends updating policies to explicitly cover digital marketing, banning influencer promotions of nicotine products, enforcing mandatory disclosure for paid promotions, and restricting flavoured nicotine products that appeal to youth.

It also calls for youth-focused counter-marketing campaigns using digital formats such as memes, short videos, and social media content, alongside improved age verification for online sales.

The tobacco industry’s use of social media represents a sophisticated strategy to reach young audiences while evading regulation. Experts say that only a comprehensive approach combining policy reform, digital monitoring, and youth engagement can prevent a new generation of Kenyans from becoming addicted to nicotine.