SA’s Tobacco Bill landmark for public health, lobby group says

SOUTH Africa’s Tobacco Bill will help to save lives and protect children from harms caused by smoking the commodity, Bintou Bityeki, the Africa programs director for the lobby group Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids said Wednesday.

- TAWANDA KAROMBO

This comes as big tobacco producers BAT South Africa, Philip Morris, and others are pushing for the separation of legislation between traditional cigarettes and new smokeless alternatives. The Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill is a proposed South African law that aims to strengthen public health by regulating the sale, advertising, and use of tobacco and electronic nicotine/non-nicotine delivery systems, such as vaping devices.

Bityeki has described the draft legislation as a “landmark public health bill” that will “provide an important example for tobacco control efforts across Africa” when adopted.

“The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids strongly supports the proposed measures as the country looks to protect current and future generations from the deadly harms of tobacco use and nicotine addiction,’ said Bityeki in a statement.