The continued ban on the sale of tobacco products and e-cigarettes during the lockdown was a missed opportunity to make smoke-free alternatives available for 11-million South African smokers, said Philip Morris South Africa (PMSA) in a statement on Thursday.

“The blanket ban on all tobacco and e-cigarette products undermines the efforts of those adult smokers who switched to better alternatives, such as heated tobacco products and e-cigarettes,” said Phillip Morris SA MD Marcelo Nico.