Youth forum calls for Tobacco Control Bill of 2018 to be passed into law

The SA tobacco-free youth forum has called for the president and members of parliament to pass the Tobacco Control Bill of 2018 into law.

Sep 25, 2022 - 13:48
1118
Youth forum calls for Tobacco Control Bill of 2018 to be passed into law

The South African tobacco-free youth forum has urged President Cyril Ramaphosa and members of Parliament to pass the Tobacco Control Bill of 2018 into law immediately.

The forum says passing the bill is long overdue

Earlier this week, the forum made a statement saying that passing the bill into law is long overdue.

“It must be presented to the cabinet and then to parliament,” the statement reads, adding that passing and implementing the bill will effectively change the lives of smokers and non-smokers alike,” the SA tobacco-free youth forum said.

It’s estimated that 44 000 people in SA die each year from tobacco-related illnesses

The forum said that approximately 44 000 people in South Africa die every year from tobacco-related diseases adding that passing the bill would ease the pressure on the country’s health system.

“The bill has been in the pipeline since 2012 but it has still not been passed to date. This lack of action has cost lives,” the forum said.

Pretoria Rekord reports that the bill focuses on but is not limited to “100% smoke-free indoor public areas, plain packaging and pictorial health warnings”.

The forum has urged South Africans to sign a petition calling on policymakers to prioritise passing the bill into law. It explained that it was collecting signatures of those who support the bill.

The forum says passing the bill into law is long overdue. Image: Stock Image / Pixabay

Truck and illicit cigarettes valued at R1,500, 000 seized

In other news, it was reported that a truck transporting illicit cigarettes valued at R1,500, 000 from Limpopo to Gauteng did not reach its destination after its occupants were intercepted last week.

Police spokesperson Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo said the two suspects were apprehended for transportation of illicit cigarettes along the R71 public road at Dalmada outside Polokwane on Friday 23 September.

He said an intelligence-driven operation was then conducted by Mankweng South African Police Service (SAPS), members of the Limpopo Highway Patrol (LHP) team together with the Polokwane police to monitor the truck from the N1 North road where the truck was monitored from Makhado until it was stopped and searched at Dalmada area under Polokwane policing area. Read the full story here.