Government enhanced Additional Tobacco Laws

South Africa has intensified the current anti-smoking law with new orders which limit outdoor smoking, protect children and reduce the chances of fires caused by tobacco products.
According the World Health Organization (WHO) tobacco kills half of those who use it and it estimates that about 700 million children or almost half of the world's children inhale air polluted by tobacco smoke.

People continue to use the tobacco products which are common throughout the world because of low prices, aggressive and widespread marketing as well as incompatible public policies against its use. The International Labor Organization reported that second hand tobacco smoke kills close to 200 000 workers every year.

The new South Africans laws strengthen existing legislation on smoking in public places, controlling the production of tobacco products, the selling of tobacco products for to avoid making cigarettes requesting and demand new graphic health warnings on tobacco packets. About some changes in the law with instant effects are the following:   

• A rise in the fines for smoking or allowing smoking in a non-smoking area. The fine for the owner of a restaurant, pub, bar and workplace that breaks the smoking laws is now a maximum of R50 000, and for the individual smoker R500.

• No smoking in 'partially enclosed' public places, such as covered patios, verandas, balconies, walkways and parking areas.

• Young children will be better protected from the harms of second hand smoke, like asthma, wheezing, or bronchitis:

• The tobacco industry can no longer hold 'parties' or use 'viral' marketing to target young people.

• Cigarette vending machines must sell tobacco products only and cannot be used to sell other products like crisps and chocolates. The vending machines can only be located in areas to which minors do not have access.

Further changes in the law will come into effect later this year, because the Ministry of Health is still completing regulations. These include:

• The use of picture-based health warnings on tobacco packaging. This will provide customers with honest and bright information about the harms of tobacco use in a way they can understand.

• Pollution from tobacco smoke will be further reduced by restricting smoking in certain outdoor areas. Smoking will be moved away from entrances to buildings and smoking will be restricted in sports studio, railway platforms, bus stops and al fresco dining areas. This means smoking at football, cricket, rugby and other sports stadiums will be regulated.

• The terms 'low-tar', 'light' and 'mild' will be prohibited. Such labels suggest that 'light' cigarettes are less harmful than regular cigarettes, when they are not. Smokers who switch from 'regular' to 'light' cigarettes do not reduce their intake of tar or nicotine, or the risk of disease.

The National Council against Smoking (NCAS) has greeted the new legislation as one that will have tense, important and far-reaching effects on public health and the tobacco industry's marketing activities.