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- New national legislation on tobacco is expected.
- The city of Cape Town has gone further, in a new partnership with 70 cities around the world determined to end smoking in public spaces.
- A key measure will be the strictest possible enforcement of smoking in public places.
The sale of tobacco products may have recently been disabled under Level 2 closure, but now Cape Town is planning a campaign, along with a global initiative, to move towards a “smoke-free city”.
This, to address the current high levels of smoking: one in four women and one in two men, according to studies.
The City indicated that it would join 70 cities around the world in a new partnership as part of a global public health campaign, the Bloomberg Alliance for Healthy Cities.
Mayor’s Health and Community Services Committee Member Zahid Badroodien explained: “The Alliance for Healthy Cities is a prestigious global network of cities committed to saving lives by preventing noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and injuries, with the support from Bloomberg Philanthropies in partnership with the World Health Organization and Vital Strategies. It is a global network of 70 cities where mayors have committed to preventing NCDs, including cancer, diabetes, heart disease and chronic lung disease through proven interventions. The second phase of the partnership was launched in 2019. “
Badroodien said the first phase of the campaign had tried to reduce the consumption of sugary drinks.
READ | Government cannot promise tobacco ban will never return: state attorney
South African legislators were to enact the National Tobacco Law in due time. But Badroodien said the City would go further. He explained: “In phase two, we are using similar tactics to create a smoke-free city.
According to the South African Demographic and Health Survey, 25% of women and 42.9% of men in the Western Cape smoke daily. The goal is to create a smoke-free city through stakeholder engagement, education campaigns, and review of internal city policy.
“The City of Cape Town will aim to ensure that as many of its buildings as possible comply with the new policy on smoking in the workplace after the intervention.”
The city warned that cigarette smoking was linked to “the emergence of the four most common noncommunicable diseases: cancer, heart and lung disease and diabetes.”
“In addition to the high costs of treating the diseases caused by its use, tobacco often kills people at the peak of their ability to earn a wage. This deprives families of their breadwinner, deprives nations of a healthy and productive workforce and contributes to the cycle of poverty that exists in many countries. It threatens global development, “argued Badroodien.
The city’s health authorities would focus on three main tactics to combat smoking:
- “Policy Changes: The City Health and Human Resources, along with the Policy Unit, have updated the City Policy on Smoking in the Workplace. This new document is a framework that aims to discourage smoking, as well as protecting non-smokers, while environmental health also play a role in monitoring compliance with this framework. “
- “Increased enforcement of tobacco law: Environmental health and other city departments have strengthened enforcement of tobacco law within the city. Gaps in law enforcement identified and roles and responsibilities are being defined During the festive season, activations were held on the road, blocks and beaches to educate citizens about the harms of smoking. “
- “Media Campaign: City Health is creating a tobacco awareness campaign, which has both an internal and external focus. The goals of the campaign are to announce that the city is smoke-free and educate the public. community on the harms of secondhand smoke. “
Badroodien concluded: “Recent events have forced many people to quit, but many more are struggling to give up cigarettes, as evidenced by the exorbitant prices they were willing to pay for cigarettes. We know it is not easy, but the City is doing it as much as possible to help employees and residents quit smoking. “
Deputy Health Minister Joe Phaahla was quoted in May as saying the new bill would allow the government to impose a 100% ban on smoking in public areas, BusinessTech reported.
He said the government was also moving to identify areas that needed to be strengthened in terms of legislation, including regulation of e-cigarettes and related products.
Current smoking legislation prohibited smoking in public places, but allowed food and entertainment companies the right to designate smoking areas, provided they did not occupy more than a quarter of the establishment’s space.
Phaahla was quoted as saying that they “want to change the 25% allowed smoking in public areas to a 100% ban on smoking in public areas.”
