Read articles from South Africa

May 22, 2023 by dailymaverick.co.za

There have recently been misleading calls for South Africa to adopt the Swedish model of regulating e-cigarettes, a model positioned by tobacco-industry supported organisations as making alternative products widely available, instead of regulating or restricting the sale and marketing of these products.

Articles and a full-page advert in the Sunday Times of 30 April 2023 link back to SmokeFreeSweden.org. In fact, Sweden strictly regulates e-cigarettes and the country’s laudable progress in becoming smoke-free is attributable to a long history of strong tobacco control measures starting in 1975. 

May 09, 2023 by businesstech.co.za

Market disruptors such as e-cigarettes have reshaped how the government regulates and taxes smoking in South Africa.

From 1 June 2023, nicotine-substitute solutions, including vaping products, will be taxed at a flat excise duty rate of R2.90/ml – illustrating a keen move by the government to extend the tax net over developing and new methods of smoking in the country.

However, the biggest player in the Tobacco space, British American Tobacco (BAT), as well as the Vapour Products Association of South Africa, have warned that the new tax will likely end up pushing prices up by as much as 138%, forcing consumers to the illicit market.

February 03, 2023 by mg.co.za

Every South African has the right to equality, the right to access information, the right to healthcare, and the right to life, according to the Bill of Rights enshrined in the constitution. This includes the 12.7 million South Africans who consume nicotine in all forms. 

The Control of Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Bill will rob people of these rights because of the tightened restrictions around one of the most effective tools in reducing harm and achieving smoking cessation.

December 12, 2022 by newsday.co.zw

AFRICAN governments have been implored to adopt new strategies to reduce public health threats caused by tobacco as eight million deaths are recorded every year.

Health experts, who converged in Nairobi, Kenya, last week at the second edition of the Harm Reduction Exchange, noted that the tobacco epidemic is one of the biggest public health threats the world has ever faced. [...] The experts revealed that all forms of tobacco were harmful where cigarette smoking is the most common form of tobacco use worldwide.

December 05, 2022 by thrnigeria.org

With about eight million persons dying annually due to smoking-related illness and outright quitting being difficult for most smokers, Africa and, indeed, the global community cannot afford to pay lip service to tobacco harm reduction, experts have warned.

The experts from different fields spoke at an exchange programme with the theme, Harm Reduction: Making a Difference in Africa.

Speaking on the need to prioritize harm reduction, a cross section of the discussants noted that there are plethora of researches which suggest that harm reduction is a veritable tool to lower death and diseases.

November 16, 2022 by businesstech.co.za

Anyone or business that sells cigarettes to a minor can be fined or sentenced to up to 15 years in prison.

This includes companies that distribute any confectionery, toy or any items that resemble or likely promote the related reduced-risk products.

This is according to the new Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill, which is currently before Parliament.

South Africa is forging ahead with proposed legislation that introduces strict new antismoking rules and regulates e-cigarettes.

November 09, 2022 by youtube.com

Watch this interesting Live talk about smoking harm reduction. Feat. Joseph Magero from Campaign for Safer Alternatives (CASA).

October 12, 2022 by theconversation.com

Tobacco is a leading cause of disease. It is estimated that it kills half of its consumers. Over a million additional deaths result from exposure to second hand smoke. Countries around the world are moving towards stricter regulation of tobacco products in compliance with their obligation to the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. In 2018 South Africa published a tobacco control bill that sought to better regulate the sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products.[...] Ina Skosana speaks to Catherine Egbe, a lead researcher on South Africa’s Global Adult Smoking Survey, about the latest developments.

October 11, 2022 by dailymaverick.co.za

While e-cigarette products have managed to evade regulatory oversight under South Africa’s Tobacco Products Control Act, the Control of Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Bill, which Cabinet has approved for submission to Parliament, seeks to bring vaping products into the regulatory fold, in addition to tightening up on restrictions on tobacco cigarettes.  The long-awaited bill, approved for submission to Parliament on 21 September, will repeal the Tobacco Products Control Act of 1993 and seeks to align the country’s public health measures with the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), Cabinet said.

October 10, 2022 by ewn.co.za

Local tobacco manufacturers say they are worried that the new bill aimed at curbing smoking could have the opposite effect.

The Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill seeks to change where people can smoke and how cigarettes are packaged.

But there are fears that tighter regulations could also see the legitimate tobacco industry go up in flames.

Independent tobacco manufacturers in the country believe that over-regulating the tobacco industry could impact the economy, leading to possible job losses and gives more power to the black market.