KZN Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane has sounded the alarm over the increasing use of vaping products among young people, announcing the launch of a province-wide anti-vaping campaign as part of the Department of Health’s 2025/26 budget plan.

The Witness reports that, delivering her budget speech at the provincial legislature in Pietermaritzburg on Tuesday, Simelane said the campaign seeks to counter widespread myths that vaping is a safer alternative to smoking, especially among schoolchildren.

“We are deeply concerned about the alarming rise in vaping among youth.

“Many are misled into believing that vaping is harmless, when in fact it poses serious and real health risks,” said Simelane.

“This growing trend represents a silent epidemic that threatens the well-being of our youth.

“The problem is worsened by aggressive marketing that falsely portrays vaping as a safer alternative to smoking,” she added.

She warned of the health risks associated with vaping, including addiction, lung damage and elevated heart rate — effects often downplayed in marketing that falsely promotes vaping as safe.

The campaign will be rolled out through school outreach programmes and community dialogues, aiming to debunk misinformation and equip young people with science-based facts.

With her speech, the KZN Department of Health (DoH) has joined other health organisations like the Cancer Association of South Africa (Cansa) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) in raising the alarm over youth vaping.

In May, Cansa criticised the tobacco industry for ‘deliberately marketing vaping products to teenagers and younger children’.

This year, the organisation marked World No Tobacco Day, which falls on May 31, under the theme ‘Unmasking the Appeal: Exposing the Industry Tactics on Tobacco and Nicotine Products’ in a bid to highlight how the industry promotes these products to younger audiences by emphasising compact designs and appealing flavours.

Cansa’s tobacco control programme co-ordinator and social worker, Minenhle Dlamini, refuted claims that vaping is a harmless alternative to smoking, citing mounting evidence of serious health risks.

These risks include nicotine addiction, lung damage and the increased likelihood of moving onto traditional tobacco products.

“A new generation of nicotine-dependent individuals is being created with seemingly innocent flavoured vapes and sleek, tech-inspired designs targeting young consumers,” Dlamini said.

WHO has warned that vaping is often a gateway to smoking, with e-cigarette use increasing the uptake of conventional cigarettes, particularly among youth, by nearly three times.

While stressing that it is too early to fully understand the long-term impact of vaping, WHO said there is compelling evidence that vapes are harmful to health.

In some cases, it argued, they pose a greater threat than traditional cigarettes.

“While long-term health effects are not fully known, we do know that they generate toxic substances, some of which are known to cause cancer and some that increase the risk of heart and lung disorders.

“Electronic delivery systems have also been linked to a number of physical injuries, including burns from explosions or malfunctions when the products are substandard or tampered with by users,” it said, adding that accidental exposure of children to vape fluid poses serious risks, as devices may leak or children may swallow the poisonous liquid.

Simelane said the health education drive forms part of a wider call for residents to take personal ownership of their health, the overarching theme of her R56.2b budget presentation.

Another notable initiative is the introduction of a chaplaincy programme — a first for the province — which will see chaplains deployed to public healthcare facilities to provide emotional and spiritual support to both patients and healthcare workers.

“These chaplains will ease the trauma and stress endured daily in our health facilities by offering comfort and a listening ear,” Simelane said.

She acknowledged that while the department has plans to expand healthcare access and strengthen services, these ambitions are heavily constrained by limited funds.

She said the department will procure 200 vehicles, including mobile clinics and ambulances, to improve emergency response.

A panel of licensed private emergency medical services providers will also be appointed to assist with patient transfers and ease pressure on the state’s ageing fleet.

The MEC said posts for unemployed medical professionals, such as post-community service doctors, will be advertised soon following commitments from national ministers that funding is available.

To address healthcare shortages in rural communities, new clinics are under construction in Nyavini (Ugu), Mpolweni (uMgungundlovu) and Mpaphala (King Cetshwayo).

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