June 2024 - Tobacco Control Policy & Research Updates

NDoH launches the full report for of the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) South Africa

The National Department of Health (NDoH) launched the full GATS report  on 13 June 2024. Data from the GATS South Africa report reveals that, on average, daily smokers in South Africa consume 8.5 cigarettes per day. The prevalence of tobacco use among adults in the country is 29.4%, equating to 12.7 million people.

In response to these findings, tobacco control groups in South Africa have urged the incoming administration to urgently pass the Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill. This legislation aims to combat smoking and regulate the burgeoning vape and e-cigarette markets.

E-cigarettes face ban in Hong Kong

As part of ongoing efforts to create a ‘tobacco-free Hong Kong’, the government announced 10 new policies on tobacco control on Thursday, June 6. Most notably, some of these measures involve prohibiting all flavoured cigarettes and smoking alternatives such as vapes and electronic cigarettes.

Hong Kong’s new measures towards handling tobacco products include introducing a new duty-paid labelling system, expanding non-smoking areas within the city and increasing the fine for breaching these limits, and raising the maximum penalty for evasion of tobacco duty to a $2 million fine and seven years of imprisonment. Smoking while queuing in public will also be banned, as will providing cigarettes to people who are underaged. The warning messaging on cigarette packets will also be expanded to full coverage, so manufacturers will no longer be able to use packaging to make tobacco products more enticing.

SEE FULL JUNE TOBACCO CONTROL POLICY AND RESEARCH UPDATE HERE