Table 4 Zimbabwe’s 2015 tobacco control policies in relation to FCTC measure to protect the environment

Article 18: Due regard for the protection of the environment and the health of persons in respect to tobacco cultivation and manufacture

• Section 4 of Zimbabwe’s Environmental Management Act (Chapter 20:27), 2002, describes 4 general environmental rights:

1) Clean healthy environment;

2) Access to environmental information;

3) Environment to be protected for benefit of present and future generations;

4) Right to promote policies to end pollution and environmental degradation, and support sustainable management of resources [124].

• Statutory Instrument 116 of 2012 regulates use and trade of firewood and timber [125].

• Deforestation is widespread [23, 87–92] threatening to denude the country by 2016 [23, 88, 91, 93, 126].

• Zimbabwe is among top 10 countries for largest forest cover loss between 1990 and 2010 [127].

• Child labor on tobacco farms exposes children to harmful pesticides and fertilizers and prevents school attendance [128, 129].

• Tobacco pickers risk nicotine poisoning [130, 131].

• Tobacco industry sponsors Sustainable Afforestation tree planting program [91, 132].