The Department of Health says it hopes to speed up the processing of the Control of Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery System Bill, picking up where it left off during the sixth administration when the bill lapsed, Cape {town} Etc reports.
Also read: ‘Stop sliding into my DMs’: SA youth challenge Big Tobacco on World No Tobacco Day 2024
The department will re-introduce the Bill to parliament on Wednesday, 4 September, starting with the public participation processes and public hearings in two outstanding provinces.
Cape {town} Etc discount: Looking for things to do in the city, at half the price? Get exclusive offers here.
Then, it will hold public hearings in parliament and start processing public submissions.
The Control of Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery System Bill was first introduced in December 2022 to ‘strengthen public health protection measures’ by bringing current tobacco control laws into compliance with the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) requirements for the Convention on Tobacco Control.
The Bill proposes legislation that will regulate the sale, advertising and use of tobacco products and electronic systems by, among others:
- Introducing tougher standards for the processing, manufacturing, and importing of these products
- Regulating how tobacco and electronic delivery systems are advertised
- Standardising the packaging and appearance of tobacco and electronic delivery products
- Banning smoking in all indoor public places and certain outdoor areas
- Prohibiting cigarette vending machines
- Requiring plain packaging with graphic health warnings and images
- Banning the display of tobacco products and electronic delivery systems at sales points
Before lapsing, public consultations on the Bill reached seven of the nine provinces in the country, during which committee media statements on the outcomes thereof indicated widespread in-principle support for its objectives.
BusinessTech reports supporters largely based their arguments on health reasons, citing the available data of smoking-related illnesses as grounds for ‘needed’ legislative change.
Furthermore, supporters also reportedly called for tobacco advertisements to feature health-related risks and agreed with limiting access, especially vaping, to young South Africans.
Conversely, several concerns were also raised, including:
- The loss of jobs in the industry
- The possibility of increased trade in illicit tobacco products
- A possible reduction in tax revenue from the production and sale of legal tobacco products (including electronic devices)
- Lack of attention to the impact on tobacco farmers, especially small-scale and emerging farmers
- Concerns about inadequate monitoring and enforcement of the new regulations
Find your perfect set of wheels with these incredible deals on cars for under 100k. Find car listings here.
Also read:
Tobacco Bill hearing in Winelands results in divided opinions
Picture: Reza Mehrad / Unsplash