Sameera Casmod | sameerac@radioislam.co.za
31 January 2024 | 12:35 p.m. SAST
1-min read

Image credit: BusinessTech

The Planned Tobacco Products and Electronic Nicotine Delivery System Control Bill, or tobacco bill, first proposed 5 years ago, is yet to be implemented. The objective of the bill is to halt the promotion of tobacco products in a bid to prevent people from taking up the habit.

The recent sponsorship of Formula One by tobacco companies has brought tobacco advertising into the spotlight. This includes the promotion of vaping products, which experts warn could be a gateway to cigarette smoking.

In an interview on Radio Islam International, Christina Pitt a health journalist at the Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism, outlined the distinction between vaping and cigarette smoking.

“E-cigarettes or vapes are electronic devices that heat a liquid called nicotine that is used to produce a vapor that the user inhales. Now nicotine, which comes from tobacco leaves, that is the drug that gets you hooked on tobacco products like traditional cigarettes and cigars,” Pitt explained.

She explains that while there is insufficient data to definitively conclude that vaping has the same or worse health implications than cigarettes do, the harmful effects of older tobacco products are known and can be warned against.

Existing legislation, while prohibiting some forms of tobacco marketing, falls short in addressing all avenues exploited by tobacco companies.

Loopholes in the legislation allow for international tobacco firms to circumvent regulation, such as sponsoring events like Formula One, leveraging social media, e-sports and streaming platforms to target young audiences.

Pitt expressed optimism about the strength of civic society in resisting the resurgence of tobacco advertising and safeguarding the well-being of youth.

Listen to the full interview on Sabaahul Muslim with Moulana Junaid Kharsany.