The National Council of Smoking (NCAS) welcomes the tax on e-cigarettes and lauds the Minister of Finance for stepping in to close the regulatory gap in this area that has existed for over 10 years. Children who start using e-cigarettes are at risk of addiction and are more likely to progress to smoking tobacco cigarettes. High taxes can prevent this, as raising the price can deter children from starting to use e-cigarettes. It also protects public health, as e-cigarettes are linked to serious health risks, including heart and lung diseases as well as a high risk of stroke.  However, the paltry tax increase of R1.03 per pack of 20 cigarettes cannot be justified in either health or fiscal terms.

This Saturday, 30 October, the Mamelodi community will march from Stanza Bopape Sports Complex to Matimba Library Hall as they pledge to #Switchofftobacco in Mams. Local community leaders, school principals and teams from the Department of Environmental Health (DoEH) are joining forces with Protect our Next, a partnership of South Africa’s health organisations, to collect tobacco litter en route, which local learners will use to create larger than life tobacco education murals at their schools. 

The march will be followed by an event featuring community members, school principals, Protect our Next ambassadors, youth advocacy groups Youth with Passion, Ikamva Youth and the South African Tobacco Free Youth Forum (SATFYF), Pastor Pieter from the Royal Eagles Ministry at Silverton.  Successful quitter Nicholas Mokena will share his quit story. The programme incorporates dance, music and theatre featuring local company 6N9 Production. 

Here’s your chance to ask all your questions live as we chat with the wonderful oncologist Dr Sithembile Ngidi to wrap up Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  Learn about reducing your risk of cancer, how and why smoking causes cancer, signs to watch out for and how to screen for cancer.  Lorraine Govender from CANSA will join the chat to share information on where to go for help and support, and to discuss how the new Tobacco Control Bill will better protect our health. 

See you on Sunday 31^st October at 3pm on Facebook Live @protectournext. 

Click here for more and please share with your networks.    

Tobacco use is the preventable cause of cancer in the world. Estimates suggest that approximately one-third of all cancers are caused by tobacco use. In South Africa, lung cancer features among the top five cancers in the country. 

In support of World Lung Cancer Day on 1 August, the Protect our Next partner organisation, Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) is calling for more awareness and understanding of lung cancer risk factors, particularly smoking, as well as emphasising the importance of screening and early detection.  “The best way to lower your risk of lung cancer is to avoid tobacco smoke completely. It’s never too late to stop smoking, but the sooner you stop, the better,” says Lorraine Govender, National Manager: Health Promotion for CANSA.