Smoking is not a constitutional right, the Cosatu (Cosatu), told the portfolio committee on health while voicing support for the Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill.
“We support the different provisions in the bill, though we do think on the provisions dealing with the regulation of products that perhaps the department of health needed to be a bit more bold to deal with the issue of how we capacitate the state with regards to the effective tracking and identification mechanism for tobacco products,” said Cosatu’s parliamentary co-ordinator Matthew Parks.
He warned that “the explosion of illicit trade” in tobacco threatened health objectives.
“It threatens lives, but also threatens the legally abiding industry and, of course, those jobs in value chains there.”
Parks said it made sense for the act to be updated to address vaping.
“We do appreciate that science is still evolving for electronic delivery systems for nicotine and non-nicotine, etc. But again, we've got to capacitate the state, at least at a foundational level, to regulate vaping and so on and then it's going to take time to learn all the full science,” he said.
“It makes sense that we do regulate those products when there's such a significant health impact on society. In fact it would be irresponsible not to.”
Parks stressed that the regulations must prioritise non-smokers.
“What makes tobacco different from consuming a soft drink, is that it has an impact upon people who are not consuming with you. It has an impact upon your fellow workers, your children, your spouse, people in public transport next to you, and so forth. You can still smoke, but in a place where it won't affect others. And that's what the Bill is saying.”
Cosatu urged parliament to prioritise the bill and pass it this term.
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