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...

In the late 1990s, South Africa banned all tobacco advertising. No more did cigarettes appear on billboards or in newspapers and magazines; they weren’t allowed airtime on radio or TV, and tobacco sponsorships were taboo. It helped to cut smoking from 32% to 24% by 2003 , a decade after the country first introduced tobacco control laws.  But 20 years later, South Africa isn’t the public health darling it once was, and the proportion of adults smoking has stagnated at around 20% — in stark...

NCAS MONTHLY NEWSLETTER October recap: From awareness to action. This October, NCAS spotlights how tobacco companies use influencers to mislead the public, while vaping continues to infiltrate schools. As debates around the Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill intensify, NCAS calls for stronger action to protect youth and close policy gaps. From exposing industry spin to building advocacy capacity across Africa, the push for a truly smoke-free future continues.  ...