South Africa's New Tobacco Act Could Destroy E-cigarette Industry

The Vapor Products Association of South Africa (VPASA) has warned that the country's proposed new tobacco law could destroy the e-cigarette industry. Among other provisions, the Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill offers the government a path to ban the sale of flavored e-cigarettes and e-liquids, which anti-tobacco campaigners argue are key to keeping smokers away from cigarettes. VPASA argues that the government has ignored the specialized nature of the legislation, suggesting that the bill wrongly conflates drug use with vaping. "Although the Cabinet statement announcing the passing of the Bill states that the Department of Health has conducted extensive consultations, it does not indicate that stakeholders other than anti-tobacco campaigners have not seen the revised Bill prior to its publication on 29th September," said VPASA CEO Asanda Gcoyi, quoted by the Saturday Star. "Despite calls from industry stakeholders for clarification, this has not been forthcoming." VPASA believes that the proposals on the table are not based on science or verified evidence, and wrongly treat e-cigarettes and smoking as the same thing. "E-cigarettes require a separate set of rules, recognizing that they are not the same as smoking and therefore cannot be regulated in the same way," said Gcoyi.

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