NCAS Monthly Newsletter April 2025

This month, we are shining the spotlight on a recent South African study about the rise of youth vaping which is driven by sweet flavours and advertising tactics targeted at young people. We’re also excited to introduce the launch of a powerful campaign by Protect Our Next which is already turning heads. The People vs Big Tobacco campaign kicked off with a Underage Vaping “Crime Scene” Activation. A bold, thought-provoking campaign that exposes the harsh realities of youth vaping in South Africa. Scroll down for more on the latest news and research.

South African students vaping rates are alarming.

A recent study in The Lancet’s eClinical Medicine showed that 16.8% of South African high school students use e-cigarettes. The rise is linked to appealing flavours and marketing that targets young people, as also noted by the World Health Organization. Globally, youth vaping is growing, e-cigarettes are the most commonly used tobacco product among U.S. students, and 20.5% of children in the U.K. have tried them. The study warns of serious health risks like nicotine addiction and lung damage, and calls for urgent public health action. Many teens also vape due to peer pressure or to cope with anxiety and stress. South Africa’s Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill is key to tackling this issue by regulating vaping products, limiting advertising, and helping prevent youth addiction.

Protect Our Next Launches: The People vs The Big Tobacco, underage vaping crime scene activation.

On the 16^th of April, Protect Our Next launched a bold public health activation at Fourways Mall in Johannesburg, Gauteng transforming the food court into a life-sized underage vaping crime scene. Designed to highlight the rising crisis of youth vaping in South Africa, the immersive installation featured chalk outlines, vape device “evidence,” and powerful witness statements. The activation drew significant public attention, sparked media interest, and called on visitors to lay symbolic charges against Big Tobacco all while building momentum for stronger regulation through the Tobacco Control Bill. Catch the campaign as it unfold over the months to come

Tobacco Control News

How far along is South Africa's smoke-free status after 20 years of the WHO tobacco control treaty?

South Africa marks the 20th anniversary of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), celebrating its progress in combating tobacco use. As one of the first signatories, the country has implemented key measures such as tobacco taxation, including excise taxes on Heated Tobacco Products and electronic cigarettes, which have contributed to a decline in smoking rates. The Tobacco Products and Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems Control Bill, which aligns with WHO FCTC guidelines, aims to strengthen tobacco control by enforcing stricter advertising bans, enhancing public smoking restrictions, and regulating electronic delivery systems. This bill is a critical step in addressing both traditional tobacco use and new market trends. NCAS continues to lead strong advocacy for it’s passage, much like it’s done in previous years with the current Tobacco Products Control Act (1993) in an effort to protect public health.

There moral of a top tobacco official from the FDA marks a significant setback for leadership within the health department.

The removal of FDA chief tobacco regulator Brian King in the United State marks a significant setback for tobacco control, especially as it comes amid broader leadership changes and workforce cuts under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. King, known for his efforts to ban flavoured e-cigarettes linked to youth vaping, faced strong pushback from the vaping industry, which has welcomed his departure. This leadership vacuum at the FDA raises serious concerns about regulatory delays, increased industry influence, and the potential weakening of public health protections. For tobacco control advocates, it’s a critical moment to defend science-based regulation, support the Tobacco Control Bill, and ensure youth protection remains a national priority.

A shop that sells illegal tobacco is ordered to close.

A Milksham Vape and Shop in Wiltshire, England, has been granted a second closure order after selling illegal tobacco, including counterfeit cigarettes. Despite being closed for three months previously, the shop reopened and was caught by Trading Standards officers selling counterfeit products. The Swindon Magistrates Court issued the closure, and the council is now calling for severe penalties, including up to 51weeks imprisonment or fines for unauthorised access. This highlights the ongoing issue of illegal tobacco sales and the need for strong enforcement and severe penalties.

Doda Demands an Instant Prohibition of ‘Cool Lip’ Tobacco Products Due to Health Risks.

The Additional District Magistrate of Doda in the southwestern Himalayas, has imposed an immediate ban on the storage, sale, display, and distribution of the tobacco-based product "Cool Lip" in response to concerns about its availability near schools. The product, containing filtered tobacco, was found in shops around educational institutions, raising alarms about oral health risks and its addictive potential, especially for minors. The ban, enforced under Clause 2.3.4 of the Food Safety and Standards Regulations, 2011, which prohibits tobacco and nicotine in food products, aims to curb youth access and address health experts' concerns over its harmful effects.

NEWS RESEARCH ALERT

Kahlia McCausland et al, 2025. From Engagement to Concerns: Social Media Use Among a Sample of Australian Public Health Professionals. Doi: 10.1002/hpja.70035

The study explored the use of social media by Australian health promotion and public health professionals, using a cross-sectional online survey, with 105 participants aged 18 or older.

The study found that, most rated themselves as intermediate social media competency level, and 60% had never undertaken training. The majority used social media for dissemination, education, and advocacy. However, concerns were raised about the validity of information and inappropriate online behaviour. The findings  inform the development of an open online course to equip health promotion and public health professionals with social media skills. This study supports the WNTD2025 theme by showing how social media can be a powerful tool for tobacco control. Strengthening digital skills among health professionals will boost efforts to counter tobacco industry influence, engage youth, and spread accurate information online.

Tom Worterset al, 2025. Public health and harmful advertising: The nature and extent of children's real-time exposure to unhealthy commodity marketing. Doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.118055

The study examined unhealthy commodities contribute to public health harm and social and economic costs, as in Aotearoa New Zealand, children are exposed to UHC marketing on average 76.2times per day, nearly 2.5 times their daily exposure to 'Healthy' marketing.

Results found that, over half of children's unhealthy food and alcohol marketing exposures were attributed to multinational corporations. These findings support comprehensive statutory marketing regulation over UHCs, both in NZ and internationally, to reduce children's exposure and protect public health.

Abigail de Waard et al, 2025. Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children: adolescent never smoking and associations with individual, social, and environmental factors. Doi: 10.1093/heapro/daaf022

A study fueled by the tobacco industry, commercial tobacco use highlighted how it is a major cause of preventable morbidity and mortality among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, as the tobacco industry contributes to preventable morbidity and mortality among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

To reduce smoking initiation, understanding individual, social, and environmental factors is crucial. The study from Wave 11 (2018) found that 81.3% of adolescents never smoke, with a higher prevalence among those who had ever-smoked. Factors such as peer smoking, substance use, positive family environments, and no racism were associated with never smoking. Culturally safe structural supports and holistic approaches are needed to prevent smoking. These insights are valuable for designing effective tobacco control policies and interventions tailored to Indigenous communities.

Roberto Boffi and Chiara Veronese, 2025. Almost 20 years have passed: a view of heated tobacco and vape. Doi: 10.1093/eurheartjsupp/suaf037

E-cigarettes and heated tobacco products have been marketed as safer alternatives to traditional cigarettes, leading consumers to believe that they will reduce health risks. However, the scientific evidence collected so far calls this hypothesis into question.

The results found that their use as a means of smoking cessation has not only led to unequivocal results on their effectiveness, but some studies suggest that they could increase the risk of initiation to smoking or relapse into nicotine addiction. Further research indicates that both e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products contain toxic substances and can consequently cause health risks, such as lung, cardiovascular, and oncological diseases. The combination of these products with traditional cigarettes amplifies these risks. Long-term effects are still being studied, and the lack of regulation and variety makes it difficult to assess specific risks.

Giusy Rita Maria La Rosa et al, 2025. Oral health effects of non-combustible nicotine products: protocol for a systematic review and network meta-analysis.Doi: 10.1186/s13643-025-02839-7

A systematic review and network meta-analysis aims investigate the oral signs and symptoms associated with Non-Combustible nicotine products (NCNPs) compared to other treatments, such as placebo, standard care, no drug treatment, and combustible cigarette smoking. The review will focus on randomized controlled trials comparing NCNPs to other treatments. The primary outcomes will be the number of participants reporting oral side effects, aphthous ulcers, dry mouth, and mouth irritation. The findings will inform clinical and public health decisions, with results expected by May 2025.In essence, this systematic review and meta-analysis is important for tobacco control advocates to keep an eye on, because it will highlight the oral health risks associated with NCNPs, such as e-cigarettes, compared to combustible cigarettes and other treatments. The findings, expected by May 2025, will inform public health policies and clinical guidelines, helping advocates address oral side effects like aphthous ulcers and dry mouth in future tobacco control efforts.