November Recap: Global Momentum, Local Urgency

This November reminded us that tobacco control requires both local and global intervention to protect public health from the vested interests of the tobacco industry. COP11 advanced bold public health commitments, while the findings from the Africa TII Index highlighted industry tactics that continue to evolve. Prioritising the processing of the tobacco control bill remains key for stronger national response.

South Africa at COP11: Advancing Global Tobacco Control

A delegation from South Africa was amongst the 160 Parties, NGO, and youth advocates from across the globe to attend the Eleventh Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP11) to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) in Geneva, Switzerland. The five-day conference tackled some of the most urgent tobacco control challenges facing countries around the world, leading to key decisions on the environmental harms from tobacco, strengthening of national funding mechanisms, addressing wider liabilities by the tobacco industry, and explored sustainable measures to prevent nicotine addiction. Parties were urged to adopt comprehensive regulations, protect policies from industry interference, and consider bans on tobacco and novel nicotine products within UN premises. 

COP12 and the Fifth Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade will take place in Yerevan, Armenia in 2027. Read more on COP11 here

South Africa’s 2025 Tobacco Industry Interference Score: What It Really Tells Us

The latest Global Tobacco Industry Interference (TII) Index launched by the Global Governance on Tobacco Control (GGTC) places South Africa at 64, a score that signals persistent vulnerability to tobacco industry influence. While this sits within the same range as the 2023 report, it reflects only what is publicly available. There is no obligation for South African government officials to disclose meetings or engagements with the tobacco industy, indicating that industry's lobbying may be happens behind closed doors.

The African Region TII Index showed that industry players continue to insert themselves into key policy debates, particularly for the proposed Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill. Front groups, misleading economic claims, and pressure tactics around illicit trade remain common tools used to derail regulation. At the same time, certain government collaborations involving enforcement agencies and industry-linked organisations raise concerns about conflicts of interest that could undermine public-health policy.

South Africa’s ranking ultimately reflects a clear warning: without stronger safeguards, transparency mechanisms, and firm boundaries between policymakers and the tobacco industry, interference will continue to shape the country’s tobacco control landscape. Read the full Africa TII Index report here

News Alert

South African youth shine at Global Tobacco Control Webinar

On 6 November 2025, a global webinar on Tobacco’s Toxic Pollution and Liability explored tobacco’s environmental impact, bringing together experts, policymakers, and youth advocates to discuss toxic waste, filter bans, and corporate accountability. South Africa’s Tobacco Control Youth Advocate, Mr Lesego Matame from the South African Tobacco Free Youth Forum (SATFYF), represented the country, highlighting the growing role of young leaders in shaping tobacco control and environmental policy. Click the link to watch the recording.

World Vape show in Midrand signals a concerning trend for Tobacco Control

As South Africa continues to process the Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill, the country has already seen its first World Vape Show. The exhibition was hosted in Midrand, a youth-dense area, making it an easy gateway for the vape industry to normalise nicotine products and target young people and young professionals. Allowing commercial promotional events of this scale undermine the Tobacco Control Bill. South Africa must consider whether such exhibitions should continue while the country is working to curb nicotine addiction and protect public health. This is more than a trade event. It is a signal of where the industry intends to go.

VEEV vapes highlight gaps in Tobacco Control

Despite efforts to limit online marketing, VEEV now ULTRA and VEEV ONE are sold online and in South Africa’s well-known national supermarkets. Their easy accessibility raises concerns about age verification and youth exposure to these products. With delays in finalising the 2022 Tobacco Control Bill, these products undermine the key principle of protecting young people from nicotine, weakening the effectiveness of current tobacco control measures.

Watch: Tobacco Control Bill in limbo as new tobacco products arise

For over seven years, South Africa’s Tobacco Control bill has been stalled, leaving regulation in limbo. During this time, the tobacco and nicotine industries have intensified lobbying and misinformation. Meanwhile, e-cigarettes, nicotine pouches, and other new products have entered the market largely unregulated, contributing to rising youth uptake and addiction. Industry claims about job losses and illicit trade continue to delay progress, despite little supporting evidence. Urgent action is needed to protect children and youth and align South Africa with global tobacco control standards.

Maldives pioneers generational Tobacco ban

The Maldives has become the first country to ban tobacco for anyone born on or after 1 January 2007, building on last year’s vaping ban. The policy that aims to prevent youth nicotine addiction, applies to all forms of tobacco, and includes age verification for retailers. Officials highlight that the ban protects young people without affecting tourism, setting a global example of prevention-focused tobacco control. With other countries like the UK exploring similar generational bans, the Maldives shows what strong political will can achieve for public health.

RESEARCH ALERT

Kibria et al., 2025. Perceived motivators and barriers to implementation of a smoke-free common area policy in multiunit housing in urban Bangladesh. Doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-28789-7

Multi-unit housing residents face high exposure to second-hand smoke, yet smoke-free policies are limited in Bangladesh. A study of 50 stakeholders from housing committees, civil society, and fire services found strong support for smoke-free common areas, motivated by health protection, lower maintenance costs, conflict reduction, and fire risk prevention. Barriers included smoker resistance, limited understanding, monitoring challenges, tenancy issues, and costs. Policymakers should address these factors, and further research with broader stakeholders is needed to ensure effective implementation.

Hu et al., 2025. Association between health literacy and the time to first cigarette among daily smokers in Zhejiang Province, China. Doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1620838

In China, nicotine dependence poses a major barrier to smoking cessation, yet its link with health literacy is understudied. A study of 3,235 daily smokers in Zhejiang Province found that higher health literacy was associated with lower nicotine dependence. Smokers with adequate literacy had 34% lower odds of high dependence, with protective effects increasing at higher literacy levels. Integrating tobacco control into health literacy programs could improve cessation outcomes.

Teshima et al, 2025. Impact of cigarette prices and age-of-sale policies on smoking prevalence among youth in 26 European Member States (2012-2023): A longitudinal ecological study using repeated cross-sectional data. Doi: 10.1016/j.lanepe.2025.101511

A study of 26 EU countries (2012–2023) examined the impact of cigarette prices and 18+ age-of-sale laws on youth (15–24) smoking. Youth smoking prevalence fell from 28.4% to 22.2%, with higher cigarette prices linked to a 3.4 percentage point reduction in male youth smoking, though effects varied by region and were not significant for females. Age-of-sale laws showed no significant impact at the EU level. The findings suggest that current taxation and age-of-sale policies are insufficient, and stronger, better-enforced EU-wide measures are needed to reduce youth smoking initiation.

Haug et al., 2025. Efficacy of an instant messaging-based life-skills training program to prevent behavioural risk factors among adolescents in Europe: study protocol of a cluster-randomised controlled trial. Doi: 10.1186/s40359-025-03592-1

SUNRISE SmartCoach is a smartphone-based life-skills training program aimed at preventing nicotine and tobacco use among adolescents. In a cluster-randomised controlled trial across eight European countries, 3,500 students aged 14–17 will receive interactive coaching via instant messaging over four months. The program targets self-management, social skills, and resistance to addictive behaviours, with primary outcomes measured as tobacco or nicotine use at 18 months. If effective, this approach could offer a scalable, cost-efficient way to reduce substance use and improve adolescents’ overall well-being.