CAPE TOWN - South Africa stands at a pivotal moment in tobacco regulation, as Parliament revisits the controversial Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill. The proposed legislation has sparked intense debate between health experts, industry players and policymakers over whether smoke-free alternatives like e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products should be treated as tools for harm-reduction or subjected to the same strict regulations as conventional cigarettes.
The bill in its current form would impose sweeping new rules, including plain olive-brown packaging for tobacco products, with graphic health warnings covering 65% of the surface; a complete ban on all tobacco advertising and promotions; restrictions to only tobacco and menthol flavours for vaping products; and prohibitions on public vaping wherever smoking is banned. Crucially, it makes no distinction between traditional cigarettes and cigarette alternatives.
Philip Morris International (PMI), which manufactures the IQOS heated tobacco products, has emerged as a leading voice calling for regulatory differentiation.
The company cites peer-reviewed studies showing its products release significantly fewer toxicants than traditional cigarettes.
"The science is clear; these products are not risk-free, but they are a better alternative for smokers who won't quit," says PMI vice-president for Sub-Saharan Africa, Branislav Bibic.
On the sidelines of the company’s Technovation conference in Cape Town, Bibic said the plan was to replace cigarettes with smoke-free products.
PMI director of external affairs for Southern Africa, Themba Mathebula, has been vocal about the potential consequences of the bill in its current form. He says by “applying the same restrictions to scientifically proven reduced-risk products as we do to cigarettes, we're essentially telling smokers there's no reason to switch".
PMI argues that South Africa could follow the example of countries such as the UK and Japan, where differentiated regulation has coincided with accelerated declines in smoking rates.
However, health advocacy groups remain sceptical. They point to concerns about youth vaping and argue there is insufficient long-term data on the safety of e-cigarettes.
Some lawmakers are also hesitant to embrace products claiming harm-reduction without a formal report from the National Economic Development and Labour Council on the science behind these alternatives.
The tobacco debate comes at a critical juncture for South Africa's public health and economy. Proponents of harm-reducing products warn that treating all nicotine products equally could stifle innovation and keep safer alternatives out of reach. Critics counter that lax regulation could lead to new public health challenges.
South Africa, therefore, faces a fundamental question: Will it join the growing number of countries incorporating harm-reduction into tobacco control, or will it take a more restrictive path? Whatever decision it makes will have lasting implications for millions of South African smokers and the country's public health landscape.
Says Bibic: "This isn't just about tobacco companies; it's about giving smokers better choices."
- Nomasonto Pooe