New bill targets vaping
The implementation of this bill would see new restrictions on the sale and use of vaping products in public places and in houses and cars.
The vaping community is potentially in store for a massive industry change in the months ahead.
The Portfolio Committee on Health was scheduled to host public hearings on the proposed Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill (B33-2022) in Richards Bay, Pietermaritzburg, and Pinetown recently.
However, the hearings were postponed and the industry is uncertain about what the future hold for vapers and vaping companies.
Vaping is popular on the South Coast and is used by many as an alternative to traditional smoking, however many younger users now vape without a history of smoking, one of the key reasons for its stigmatisation.
If implemented, this bill aims to group vaping products in the same category as traditional tobacco products, most notably cigarettes but also including snuff and pipe tobacco.
The implementation of this bill would see new restrictions on the sale and use of vaping products in public places and in houses and cars. Just like cigarettes, for instance, non-compliance would then become a legal matter and offenders potentially face penalties.
“As expected, the government could not convincingly support its proposed regulation of vaping with scientific evidence, and instead relied on the blanket assertion that all vaping companies are targeting young people,” said the Vapour Products Association of South Africa (VPASA) in an article published last year.
The VPASA also anticipates critical economic challenges with the passing of the bill.
“The vaping industry in South Africa is still in its infancy, and should the bill be passed in its current form, coupled with the excise tax, there will be dire consequences for many small businesses across the entire value chain. It will suppress the growth of the industry, thereby putting hundreds of businesses and thousands of jobs at stake.”
It further states that the government is ill-informed about the organisation’s stance on underage sales and supports this with the Youth Access Prevention campaign.
A South Coast resident, who wishes to remain anonymous, explained: “It makes absolutely no sense to group these things together. How can I potentially face the same consequences as cigarette smokers?”
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