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Bill threatens future of tobacconists

• Restrictions ‘will put jobs on line’

Tamar Kahn kahnt@businesslive.co.za

The health department’s plans to tighten SA’s laws on tobacco advertising will deal a potentially deadly blow to specialist stores, a leading importer of tobacco products warned on Wednesday. Clippa Sales director Alex Jacovides said the Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill’s restrictions on advertising would pile additional pressure on these businesses and put jobs on the line.

The health department’s plans to tighten SA’s laws on tobacco advertising will deal a potentially deadly blow to specialist stores, a leading importer of tobacco products warned on Wednesday.

The department has proposed extensive reforms to SA’s tobacco laws in the Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill, including a ban on point of sale advertising and displays, and the introduction of standardised packaging and picture warnings. The bill is before parliament.

Tobacconists have been hit hard by the growth of the illicit cigarette market in SA, which was fuelled by the government’s temporary ban on tobacco sales during the coronavirus pandemic, Clippa Sales director Alex Jacovides said.

The bill’s restrictions on advertising will pile additional pressure on these businesses and put jobs on the line, he said. There are an estimated 400 to 500 tobacconists in SA, each employing four to six people, he said.

“To be blunt, tobacco is no different to hamburgers or soft drinks or liquor. If anybody indulges in these items, there is a risk to health. If you have too much it is no good for you. What bothers us is tobacco is always singled out as the biggest health risk,” he said.

Tobacco is the leading cause of preventable cancer worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). It can cause not only lung cancer but also cancers of the mouth, oesophagus, stomach, cervix, bladder and colon.

The tobacco bill was submitted to parliament last year and has been classified as a section 76 bill by parliament’s joint tagging committee. This means it will be considered by both the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces. Parliament’s portfolio committee on health is due to be briefed by the health department.

The bill introduces a ban on the display of tobacco and tobacco-related products in retailers, including specialist stores.

Casa Tabac owner Diane Bravo said the prohibition on the display of tobacco products was tantamount to a ban on their sale. “As a specialist tobacco retailer, I can’t imagine what my store will look like if I can’t display any of the products that I sell. At the very least, government should exempt specialist tobacconists, who don’t sell products to anyone younger than 18,” she said.

The bill has been in the pipeline since 2018, frustrating public health experts who say SA’s tobacco control measures have fallen behind global best practice. It is staunchly opposed by the tobacco and e-cigarette industries, which are expected to step up their lobbying campaigns as the bill makes its way through parliament.

The prevalence of smoking in SA fell after the government implemented the Tobacco Products Control Act of 1993, dropping from a high of more than 30% in the early 1990s to a low of about 20% in 2016, according to a socioeconomic impact assessment accompanying the new bill.

But in recent years smoking rates have picked up, necessitating stricter anti-tobacco measures, says the assessment. An estimated 29% of the SA population aged 15 or above used tobacco in 2021, according to the Gats-SA survey conducted by the Medical Research Council.

TOBACCONISTS SAY RESTRICTIONS ON ADVERTISING AND THE DISPLAY OF PRODUCTS WILL PILE PRESSURE ON SMALL BUSINESSES

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2023-02-02T08:00:00.0000000Z

2023-02-02T08:00:00.0000000Z

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