Smoking in South Africa
In South Africa, cigarettes are legally allowed to be sold and used, but they are regulated with some restrictions. Tobacco advertising is regulated, but there is no comprehensive ban on all forms of advertising. The minimum legal age to buy cigarettes is 18 years, and health warnings on packaging are required. Cigarettes cannot be purchased online, but they are available through vending machines and other sales channels. Smoking is not fully restricted in all public places. The country applies a specific excise tax of 47.04%, contributing to a total taxation rate of 60.09% on cigarettes. The current prevalence of tobacco smoking among adults aged 15 years and older in South Africa, was recorded to be 23.3% in 2024. In comparison, this was 20.2% in 2020 and 20.7% in 2019. Data by gender from 2024 indicate that 39.3% of adult males and 8.5% of adult females were tobacco smokers, illustrating a significant gender differences in smoking habits. The total number of current smokers in 2024 was estimated to be 10.9 million individuals. The adult daily tobacco smoking prevalence in 2021 was 21.2%, with 35.1% among males and 8.3% among females. In terms of mortality, smoking accounted for 4.42% of all deaths in South Africa in 2021, and it led to 5.75% of male deaths compared to 2.86% of female deaths. The annual number of smoking-related deaths in 2021 was 32,442, including 22,817 males and 9,625 females. The number of smokers in 2022 was approximately 8,617,084, showing an increase from 8,323,703 smokers in 2020. These statistics represent the ongoing public health challenge posed by tobacco smoking in South Africa, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions to reduce smoking prevalence and related mortality.
Read articles from South Africa
March 11, 2022 by dailymaverick.co.za
We must consider the best interests of our children in the regulation and control of e-cigarettes
Neurobiologically, children are much more vulnerable to nicotine addiction than adults, and those who start using it at a young age have greater nicotine dependence than those who start later. If a nation’s future depends on how well it attends to its children, child interests must be at the centre of policy decisions. This is even more true for a country that faces a youth bulge – in 2019 Stats SA reported that about 37% of the South African population is 19 years and younger.
March 04, 2022 by tobaccoreporter.com
South Africa Proposes New Vaping Tax
The South African government will propose a new tax on vaping products to take effect in 2023, according to Vaping360.
The move follows the government’s announcement last year that it intended to tax e-liquids.
South African Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana outlined the new tax proposal as part of a package of new and increased excise taxes on tobacco, alcohol and high-sugar products. The vaping tax will appear in the 2022 Taxation Laws Amendment Bill, though it could be changed by Parliament before the bill is finalized. It is expected to be in place by Jan. 1, 2023, according to Godongwana.
February 23, 2022 by youtube.com
Struggling to quit cigarettes? Try e-cigarettes and oral nicotine pouches | Joseph Magero
Modern oral nicotine products (e.g. nicotine pouches) require no combustion, no lung inhalation, and they contain no tobacco. The fact that they do not require combustion, and therefore the 7000 chemicals present in cigarette smoke, mean that these products represent immense potential for the reduction of tobacco-related harm. [...]
December 06, 2021 by nyasatimes.com
WHO under fire for advancing draconian laws on tobacco control
The World Health Organization (WHO) has come under fire for advancing and crafting ‘draconian laws’ on tobacco control which are allegedly intended to ‘kill’ tobacco smokers, more so in Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs), which largely depend on tobacco production.
Renowned global governance experts and human rights defenders argue that WHO policies on tobacco control are dictatorial and run counter to the promotion of social and economic rights of LMICs while “killing smokers with combustible cigarettes”.
November 05, 2021 by nyasatimes.com
Tobacco-dependent economies advised to quickly diversify away from leaf production or suffer disastrous consequences [...]
United Kingdom (UK)-based sociologist and an avid advocate of tobacco harm reduction, Gerry Stimson, has advised African countries whose economies heavily depend on tobacco production to quickly diversify away from the indurstry. Stimson gave the caution on Wednesday in response to a question from journalists who sought his opinion on African countries whose economies have, for decades, heavily relied on tobacco production. [...] Stimson warned tobacco-dependent countries that any delays in moving away from the 'green gold' would have disastrous effects on their economies in no distant future from now.
September 29, 2021 by vapingpost.com
South Africa: Age Verification Crackdown at Vape Shops
South Africa’s Control of Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Bill, was first announced last year by Deputy Health Minister Joe Phaahla, and is currently being reviewed. The Bill proposes stricter e-cig regulations, and restrictions on the use, marketing, and sales of certain tobacco products in South Africa. Moreover, it would set in place a provision allowing the government to implement a “100% public cigarette ban”.
September 20, 2021 by sokodirectory.com
Quit-Or-Die Approach An Ill-Advised Gamble For Public Health
Many smokers are unable – or at least unwilling – to achieve cessation through complete nicotine and tobacco abstinence; they continue smoking despite the very real and obvious adverse health consequences. Conventional smoking cessation policies and programs generally present smokers with two unpleasant alternatives: quit, or die.
The third approach to smoking cessation, tobacco harm reduction, involves the use of alternative sources of nicotine, including modern smokeless tobacco products.
September 07, 2021 by businesstech.co.za
South Africa’s new cigarette and vaping laws won’t do what they say on the packet: tobacco company
The draft Control of Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Bill will not effectively reduce cigarette sales or smoking-related harm in the country, says tobacco company Philip Morris South Africa.
The bill is expected to further regulate the use, marketing and sales of e-cigarettes or vapes in South Africa, with these products currently operating in a legislative vacuum.
Plans are also in place to introduce further restrictions on the smoking of cigarettes in public places.
August 16, 2021 by snusforumet.se
Smokers in Africa: nicotine pouches offer an alternative to ‘quit or die’
Helping smokers in Africa quit is an uphill battle and smokers on the continent have said nicotine pouches can help. But knee-jerk reactions by policymakers have removed this important lifeline, hurting people’s chances of quitting, argues Joseph Magero, Chair of the Campaign for Safer Alternatives (CASA).
Millions of Africans who are desperate to quit smoking are instead being unnecessarily condemned to an early grave.
July 02, 2021 by vapingpost.com
South African Study Claims That Most Vapers Keep Smoking
South Africa’s Control of Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Bill, was first announced last May by Deputy Health Minister Joe Phaahla, and is currently being reviewed. The Bill proposes stricter e-cig regulations, and restrictions on the use, marketing, and sales of certain tobacco products in South Africa. Moreover, it would set in place a provision allowing the government to implement a “100% public cigarette ban”.