Research on e-cigarettes conducted by prominent public health researchers has emphasised the need to speedily pass the Control of Tobacco and Electronic Delivery Systems Bill (2018) into law. Two years have passed since the Bill closed for public comments in August 2018, during which time the e-cigarette industry, currently largely unregulated, has further taken hold in South Africa.    Professor Lekan Ayo-Yusuf, director of the Africa Centre for Tobacco Industry Monitoring and Policy Research (ATIM) at the Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University (SMU), says the research results support an urgent need for a regulated environment in order to better protect our youth from the health harms of e-cigarette addiction. 

Health organisations partnering in the #protectournext initiative, a campaign focused on reducing tobacco harm in South Africa,  have welcomed the launch of the WHO year-long global Commit to Quit campaign leading up to World No Tobacco Day in May 2021.  Organisations including the National Council Against Smoking (NCAS), CANSA, the Heart and Stroke Foundation South Africa (HSFSA) and the Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Research Unit of the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) have stressed the importance of quitting and permanent cessation, especially as South Africa is experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases in wave two of the pandemic. 

Tobacco affects our human rights to life, health and a healthy environment, and must be better regulated, say South Africa’s prominent health organisations forming part of the #protectournext movement. With International Human Rights Day falling on December 10th, these organisations including the National Council Against Smoking, CANSA, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of South Africa and the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) are joining others around the world in calling for bold action in tobacco control to protect our right to health.  The 2020 theme, ‘Recover Better - Stand Up for Human Rights’ relates to the COVID-19 pandemic and focuses on the need to build back better by ensuring Human Rights are central to recovery efforts.

The majority of smokers regret ever starting. With the festive season approaching, those who want to quit may think of putting it off until the new year. Right now is the time to focus on kicking the habit – you’ll feel much better by Christmas and be ready to kick off 2021 as a non-smoker, says Dr. Sharon Nyatsanza of the National Council Against Smoking (NCAS), a #protectournext partner. She gives smokers some tips on quitting smoking, and staying quit, during the holiday period.