South Africa’s new tobacco bill will destroy the vapor industry if it becomes law, the Vapour Products Association of South Africa (VPASA) warned.
Among other provisions, the Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill opens an avenue for the government to ban the sale of flavored e-liquids, which tobacco harm advocates insist are key to entice smokers away from cigarettes.
VPASA contends that the government neglected to consult the industry about its proposed legislation, which mistakenly conflates vaping with smoking, according to the industry group.
“While the Cabinet statement announcing the adoption of the bill noted that the Department of Health had conducted extensive consultations, it conveniently failed to state that other than anti-tobacco campaigners, no other stakeholders had seen a copy of the revised bill before it was gazetted on Sept. 29,” VPASA CEO Asanda Gcoyi was quoted as saying by The Saturday Star. “This is despite numerous requests for a copy made by industry stakeholders.”
VPASA also believes the proposals on the table are not based on science or empirical evidence, treating vaping and smoking as if they are one and the same thing. “Vaping requires a separate set of guidelines recognizing that it is not the same as smoking and therefore cannot be regulated in the same manner,” said Gcoyi.