Cameroon: The economy plumed by tobacco clandestine businesses

Counterfeit, illicit habits, false brands and low cost:cigarette traffic explodes, boosted by the cruel appetite of the tobacco industry. A parallel market which contributes to the fortune of mafia groups.

Yaounde urban council, the sky is obscure and the air is fresh, Robert in his twenties stops by a shopon the public path. In this shop, he does his credit transfer and buys a packet of cigarette. The park given to him carries no fiscal stamp, but for Robert, only his toxic dosage matters. Like Robert, many other tobacco users buy counterfeited products regularly.

Indeed, for the past two weeks, retail stands have been overwhelmed by counterfeited cigarettes and low cost brands, not respecting the regulating laws in Cameroon. This rise in counterfeit and illicit behavior activities around tobacco products is not without consequences on the economy.

According to a research conducted by the ‘Groupement Inter-Patronal du Cameroun’ (GICAM), almost 29% of cigarette sales emanates from counterfeit sources. The same study reveals that tax loses and customs loses related to illicit trade of tobacco amounts to almost 4 Billion Fcfa for the year 2006.

Cameroon: Captured by tobacco advertisements

The imaginations put in place by tobacco industries to attract new addicts in Cameroon, seems to be unbearable. From free tasting, and offer as gifts of tobacco products, accompanied by the use of media to initiate consumption.

The violation of the 2006 law on advertisements in Cameroon

Presently, the tobacco industry has launched a campaign to increase its profits, while making Cameroonians to be more addicted to tobacco. Furthermore, every week we notice a new cigarette brand in the market. This action is led by the aggressive marketing strategies from all angles of the Cameroonian territory. Although the Country has a legislation that prohibits the advertisement of all tobacco products.

For example, Yaounde the political capital of Cameroon has “cigarettes girls” whom are paid to parade night clubs, snack bars and public places, while stimulating youths to taste new exciting brands. The innovation recently, is that of free tasting of cigs. Across road sides we can find posters on sales points with T-shirts, caps close to schools, shops……

The case of Douala the economic capital of Cameroon is not save from the ravage of tobacco products advertisement. Here, nothing is left out concerning advertisements. From t-shirts, umbrellas, posters, sale points, vehicles, all is put in place to reach the maximum of persons possible, and particularly youths who are majority of holiday makers.

Tobacco use: A Cameroonian smoker spends monthly 5.000fcfa on cigarettes.

A Cameroonian smoker is on a tobacco row. Spending averagely 5000fcfa per month on tobacco products. Which corresponds to 7,25% of the Guaranteed Minimum Wage(SMIG), as revealed by the global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS), survey realized in 2013 by the National Institute for Statistics(NIS), with the support of the Ministry of Public Health and WHO.

According to the conclusion of this research, the smoking phenomenon is more visible amongs persons within 25-44 years old. Their expenses related to cigarette purchase is more than 5000FCFA per smoker, meanwhile those between the age group 15-24 years spend 4123FCFA to buy cigarettes.

Moreover, tobacco use of recent times is a poverty increasing factor within families." if in a family one person smokes, money that is destined for proteins, that is to say for fish and meat, is being oriented towards cigarette purchase, and consequently, the children do not go to school, blames attributed to lack of finance", explained by Dr. Flore NDEMBIYEMBE, president of the Cameroon Coalition to Counter Tobacco (C3T).