CANSA at Parliamentary Portfolio Committee in support of Tobacco bill

As part of Parliament engagement, our #CANSAAdvocacy team members, Lorraine and Minenhle formed part of civil society in support of the Tobacco and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill that was presented by National Department of Health to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health on 31 May 2023.  We showed our support through our presence at the briefing with other members of Protect our Next (PON).

South Africa is a signatory to the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), one of its objectives being to curb the demand and supply of harmful tobacco products including e-cigarettes through regulatory measures. CANSA has always played a major role in anti-tobacco legislation since 1991. Our focus has been to educate the public through our awareness drives to reduce tobacco use.

Since tobacco use is the primary cause of lung cancer and a risk factor for over 15 different types of cancers; it remains our duty to educate the public on the harms of tobacco use.

CANSA has an online support program called “CANSA’s e-Kick Butt progamme” for people that are trying to quit smoking.

International trends have shown countries that adopt stricter control on tobacco regulation assists in decreasing tobacco use and exposure to second-hand smoke. In a developing country like South Africa the health burden caused by tobacco related illnesses including cancer have a negative impact on our already struggling economy.

It is therefore imperative for civil society organisations like CANSA to remain at the forefront in leading the fight against tobacco. #NoTobacco