Tobacco companies hoping new bill won’t deter users from adoption of ‘less harmful’ options

As South Africa approaches the 4 August submission deadline for public comment on the proposed new tobacco bill, tobacco companies are waiting with bated breath to see whether government goes through with the regulations stipulated of not just traditional tobacco products but also electronic devices or vaping.

The new bill aims to set rules for smoking, control how tobacco products and e-cigarettes are sold and advertised, and regulate their packaging and appearance to make them look the same.

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The bill also wants to establish standards for making and exporting these products. It makes it illegal to sell them to children, give them away for free, or sell them through vending machines. The bill covers all these aspects and more connected to smoking and e-cigarettes.

In support of bill

Companies like Philip Morris International (PMI) are in support of the bill, but are hoping it will not deter their efforts to push their users towards less harmful options.

The company said the most pragmatic approach would be to complement existing efforts to reduce the harm of smoking.

The tobacco company –  which has been around for decades and was one of the many tobacco companies generally blamed for the perpetuating of tobacco addictions – has urged its users to opt for its electronic offerings which it believes is less harmful.

“Currrently, South Africa faces a big challenge when it comes to smoking, as it ranks 23rd among the countries with the highest number of smokers in the world.

“Even though the government has put strict rules on tobacco advertising and is considering a new bill, the country still has one of the highest smoking rates globally,” the company reported.

According to the latest report from the World Population Review in 2023, about 31.4 percent of South Africans smoke. Out of that, 46.8 percent are men and 16 percent are women.

“Government and businesses need to work together to reduce smoking rates,” PMI said.

PMI’s Branislav Bibic explained that, ideally, all one billion smokers in the world should quit smoking completely.

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“But it seems like this won’t happen soon,” he said. Until then, the company is pushing its non-burn tobacco products – which it claims are not risk-free but are less harmful.

So far, both PMI and the British American Tobacco have been fairly successful in promoting their ‘less harmful’ products – particularly for the reason that tobacco addicts could get their fix without the usual guilt.

Government not convinced

But it seems government is not convinced e-cigerettes pose less of a risk, with the new bill not recognising vapes and e-cigerettes as less harmful options.

In fact, the bill treats both traditional tobacco products and e-cigarettes/vapes similarly with smoking restrictions in public spaces and in the presence of non-smokers or children.

The bill also stipulates that flavoured e-liquids and vape juices may face an end due to the health minister’s power to determine the content and characterised flavour of relevant products.

Online vape stores, which currently make up about a third of the market, will also be shut down, making the sale and distribution of e-cigarettes online illegal.