Insunko Addiction on the Rise in Zambia
A disturbing rise in tobacco addiction, particularly among Zambia’s youth and women, is prompting renewed calls for stronger legislation and public health interventions, as harrowing personal stories bring the crisis into sharp focus.
Chileshe Bupe, a 19-year-old college student in Lusaka, is one of many caught in the grip of addiction to insunko, a powdered tobacco commonly sniffed in Zambia. “I have tried all I can to stop sniffing insunko but all my efforts are to no avail,” she confessed. “I sniff every morning and before going to bed. It is an addiction I cannot control.”
Bupe says the habit has negatively impacted her education and mental health, intensifying her cravings for stronger substances and isolating her from her goals. She is not alone. According to interviews with several individuals, use of tobacco products like insunko and shisha is rising among young Zambians, fueled by misinformation and ease of access.
Another troubling account comes from Natasha Mulenga, 29, a Bauleni Township resident who has battled insunko addiction for over eight years. “I was told that if my husband is to enjoy sexual activities, my body should be warm, and that sniffing insunko would help,” she recalled. But instead of harmony, the habit led to chest pains, chronic coughing, financial stress, and eventually a separation from her husband.
Despite the damage, Mulenga says the addiction is difficult to quit and warns women against believing myths that encourage tobacco use. “Even with all those myths, my husband has been cheating on me with every woman he sees,” she said, visibly emotional.
Teenagers are also falling into tobacco use traps, especially through flavored shisha. Thirteen-year-old Anie Phiri says the product is easily accessible in pubs and shopping malls, making it difficult for minors to avoid. “It’s fruity and everyone is doing it,” she said. Shisha, often perceived as a less harmful alternative, actually contains toxic compounds, including high levels of carbon monoxide and cancer-causing chemicals.
Health experts say this trend is alarming. Senior Researcher at the Centre for Primary Care Research (CPCR), Richard Zulu, warned of severe long-term effects. “The nicotine in tobacco is highly addictive, and over time, the abuse of products like shisha and insunko may lead to mental health challenges and cognitive impairment,” he said.
While Zambia ratified the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO-FCTC) in 2008, implementation has been slow. The country lacks comprehensive legislation to regulate the sale, distribution, and advertising of tobacco products.
Efforts are underway to formulate the Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhalants Control Bill, aimed at reducing health, social, and environmental damage from tobacco use. But progress remains slow, despite WHO figures showing tobacco-related diseases kill over 8 million people globally each year, with Zambia accounting for approximately 7,000 of those deaths.
The WHO has warned that tobacco threatens sustainable development by undermining health, draining resources, damaging the environment, and widening inequality.
Public health advocates say urgent action is needed to domesticate the WHO-FCTC and enforce policies that will protect young people from tobacco influence.
As Bupe and Mulenga continue their personal battles, they hope that speaking out can catalyze action to prevent others from walking the same path. “I want the government to help us stop,” Bupe said. “We are young, but we are losing ourselves too early.”
