SA moves to strengthen tobacco control
'Every life lost through tobacco is preventable. We don’t need it in our bodies. Nicotine doesn’t add any value,' says the deputy health minister.
Through the proposed Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill, South Africa is actively working to combat tobacco use, including e-cigarettes and hookahs, also known as hubbly bubblies.
This is according to the Deputy Health Minister, Dr Joe Phaahla, who was delivering a keynote address to commemorate World No Tobacco Day at the Protea Hotel in Midrand on June 2.
“We want to make sure we regulate these upcoming products, because currently they’re not covered,” said Phaahla. “That is, e-cigarettes and the hubbly bubblies. We want to make sure they are properly regulated because currently they are everywhere.”
Also read: Local foundation hopes to help boys from smoking, vaping and mental well-being
He informed the attendees that the proposed bill seeks to implement significant changes to tobacco regulation. These changes include the introduction of plain packaging, the expansion of smoke-free zones, stricter controls on emerging tobacco products, regulation of e-cigarettes, and enhanced support for tobacco cessation programmes.
“Every life lost through tobacco is preventable. We don’t need it in our bodies. Nicotine doesn’t add any value,” Phaahla stressed, calling for a united effort from government, civil society, and media to combat tobacco use.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), tobacco use remains one of the leading causes of preventable death and disease globally, responsible for over eight million deaths each year, including more than one million from second-hand smoke exposure.
Read more: Why smoking around kids is dangerous
Phaahla stated that the Cessation Support Bill, also known as the Tobacco Control Bill, aims to enhance support for users trying to quit and improve their health, however, the deputy minister underscored the tobacco industry’s aggressive attempts to undermine the legislation. He noted that some individuals, sponsored by the industry, have actively opposed the bill during public hearings.
“Of course, the industry has been spending huge amounts of money sponsoring people to go to the public hearings. That’s how powerful this industry can be,” he explained. “They’ve also had their own special people, who were some of the medical practitioners who have been sponsored to do this, to promote these products as a form of harm reduction, and that our bill is ignoring these products as part of the package of harm reduction. But we already know that’s not the case.
“We want to assure you that we value your contribution and are confident that this bill will ultimately pass in parliament, despite the efforts of the industry to mobilise even very passionate Members of Parliament, at every turn, to find a loophole.”
Also read: The dangers of passive smoking
Meanwhile, Phaalha has thrown his weight behind the chairperson of the Health Portfolio Committee, Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo. “We have a very strong team, led by a former colleague in the previous administration, as the deputy minister, now chairperson of the committee. Dr Dhlomo is leading from the front for the team there. So, we’re quite confident that we’ll succeed.”
Follow us on our Whatsapp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok for the latest updates and inspiration! Have a story idea? We’d love to hear from you – join our WhatsApp group and share your thoughts!
