Stricter Tobacco Laws May Soon Affect Vapes and E-cigarettes, SA Divided Over Rules

• A new set of laws passed onto Parliament may soon be implemented that will make smoking tougher
• The laws will include tighter regulations on E-cigarettes and vaping devices to discourage people from smoking
• The Vapour Products Association of South Africa (VPASA) said it wants the industry to be regulated

JOHANNESBURG - The government plans to make smoking tougher with its latest tobacco plan that was passed onto Parliament. The laws will include tighter regulations on E-cigarettes and vaping devices.

The Department of Health hopes the laws will discourage people from smoking and encourage users to quit. It has tabled the Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill, which Cabinet recently approved for submission to Parliament.

Laws such as smoking or vaping in private in the presence of a child or non-smoker will be forbidden, and plain packaging with limited branding will also appear on cigarette boxes. In addition, according to Business Insider, the bill highlights the minister’s powers to prohibit e-liquid or vape juice.

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CEO of the Vapour Products Association of South Africa (VPASA) Asanda Gcoyi told the publication that the industry wants to be regulated. However, Gcoyi said that VPASA proposed that government uses vapes and e-cigarettes as a tobacco harm reduction product which the bill does not include.

According to ECR, health experts believe the country’s tobacco laws have not kept up with those of international communities. They believe that the lack of laws has led to the exploitation of loopholes and increased the sale and use of tobacco products.

Public Health Policy and Development Consultant Zanele Mthembu said the Tobacco Products Control Act of 1993 has been amended only three times. The delays that have taken place in the adoption of the deal led to exploiting the loopholes.

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Here’s what citizens have to say:

@Johnsmith80050 said:

“They want you to stop smoking cigarettes and when you find something as a replacement they want to stop that as well.”

@Gary79981008 posted:

“Nice, it’s horrible being around someone that smokes or vapes. Pity law enforcement never going to enforce the new regulations as they should.”

@GregTHR commented:

“The same country that couldn’t enforce a cigarette sales ban during a lockdown thinks it can ban even more stuff. This will work out well.”

@pete77022741 posted:

“South Africa and its obsession with smoking and drinking.”

@beyl_paul added:

“Someone/body is not getting a cut obviously!”

Ban on cigarettes during Covid19 lockdown was unlawful, rules Supreme Court of Appeal

In a related matter, Briefly News also reported the Supreme Court of Appeal dismissed the Minister of Co-operative Governance Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma and President Cyril Ramaphosa’s attempt to reverse a high court’s ruling that the cigarette ban was unlawful.

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The ruling was published on Tuesday 14 June and said that the cigarette ban during the 2020 hard lockdown did nothing to help reduce Covid-19 but rather interfered with the 11 million smokers in the country.

Government argued that the ban was legal and effective in reducing Covid-19 complications, however, the SCA ruled that smokers who could not enjoy “daily pleasures” were negatively impacted emotionally.

Source: Briefly News