Philip Morris pins hopes on SA's new tobacco law to advance harm reduction efforts

PHILIP Morris International (PMI) said on Wednesday that South Africa's new regulatory process for the tobacco industry could mark a turning point for the country’s harm reduction agenda, as government considers how to regulate new smokeless and alternative nicotine products.

- TAWANDA KAROMBO

The Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill, currently under discussion in Parliament, has reignited debate about the future of tobacco regulation in South Africa.

Big tobacco companies — including PMI and British American Tobacco South Africa (BATSA) — recently made submissions to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health, calling for differentiation between combustible and smokeless tobacco products.

PMI has argued that treating all nicotine products the same would be a missed opportunity to reduce smoking-related diseases, while BATSA said the proper regulation of less harmful alternatives could help accelerate the country’s transition to a smoke-free South Africa.