Nairobi, May 10 -- Latest attempts by the government to strengthen regulations targeting the tobacco industry have sparked a heated debate between anti-tobacco lobbies and traders.

This comes amid calls to review the Tobacco Control Act, 2007 and the Tobacco Control Regulations, 2014 to accommodate new tobacco-free products that would accord cigarette smokers access to reduced-risk alternatives that would help them quit smoking.

The Ministry of Health has been engaging members of the public and industry stakeholders in Kisumu,Uasin Gishu, Kakamega, Nyeri, Embu, Mombasa and Machakos counties in a bid to collect their views on graphic health warnings that are proposed to be imprinted on cigarette packaging.

Traders have faulted the warni...