South Africa’s proposed Control of Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Bill, 2018, includes “radical changes,” according to Caxton Network News, that would overhaul the country’s tobacco laws by introducing 100% smoke-free indoor public spaces, banning point-of-sale displays and vending machines, and bringing e-cigarettes under strict regulation. One of the most contentious provisions, according to the report, appears to extend restrictions to private spaces, including homes and vehicles, through a clause linked to the Sectional Titles Act. Despite enforcement concerns raised by the South African Police Service and National Prosecuting Authority, the clause was retained on the grounds of protecting workers’ constitutional rights.
The bill would also mandate plain packaging for all tobacco products, while e-cigarettes and vapes would face rules identical to those for combustible cigarettes. Requests from industry to exempt vaping products from display bans, plain packaging, and smoke-free rules were rejected.
Additional measures in the bill include bans on single-stick sales, vending-machine sales, and the public display of all tobacco and vaping products. After extensive public hearings earlier this year, the Department of Health was expected to present responses to submissions in November, but the parliamentary committee rejected its document and delayed the meeting to early next year. The bill remains under consideration in the Portfolio Committee on Health.
