Smoke-free alternatives could help cut smoking deaths in South Africa, say industry players

Tawanda Karombo

Efforts to make smoke-free products more widely available could help South Africa reduce smoking-related deaths, industry players have said, as the government finalises new legislation for the tobacco sector. However, the affordability of these alternatives has become a key concern.

With over 8.6 million smokers in South Africa according to the Global Action to End Smoking, the number of smoke related deaths remains elevated at about 32 000 per year based on statistics from Tobacco Control Data.

Tobacco manufacturers such as Philip Morris International (PMI) believe that smoke-free alternatives will play a key role in ending smoke related deaths as consumers shift to non-combustible nicotine pouches and other alternatives.

Smoke-free products are also seen helping to end drug-related problems afflicting SA and other African countries. However, organisations such as the WHO are against this.

“To be quite honest, I think if the new smoke-free products were available it would reduce even drug use in the way young people are using drugs a lot because they don't have a lot of options. If alternatives are not available, people will get cheap drugs on black market,” said Patrik Hildingsson, director for communications oral products at PMI.

He said the process South Africa was undergoing with crafting a new regulation that will recognise new products was a “big change” for the industry. The company, however, wants South Africa to differentiate between traditional combustible cigarettes and new smoke-free nicotine products.

“In South Africa a lot of people now know about these smoke-free products and they are not just accessible to people who have money but also in the townships where people are using these products,” he said.

In other developed countries, governments have been lowering the excise tax on nicotine pouches and while hiking taxes on traditional cigarettes. This was seen as a way of demonstrating “that you want a certain regime for products based on the continuum of risk” with a view to reducing deaths associated with cigarette smoking.

“If you look at the debate that's happening in South Africa right now, there's a policy change that is going to happen and I know PMI also made some submissions. We await to see the outcome of the process,” Hildingsson told Business Report in an interview.

Nonetheless, “bringing smoke-free alternatives to developing economies comes with unique challenges,” said Fred De Wilde, another official with PMI.

These range from smokers remaining unaware of the health risks to economic barriers that often limit access to new technologies.

“High upfront costs can be daunting, but by developing a diverse product portfolio, we aim to make smoke-free choices accessible to people from all income levels. By understanding local needs and purchasing power, we are making better alternatives available to a broader audience,” explained De Wilde.

Experts and players in the South African tobacco industry are urging lawmakers to factor in representations from industry players. The Free Market Foundation (FMF) senior associate, Nicholas Woode-Smith, said this week that in its current form, South Africa’s Tobacco Bill “will not attain the goal of reducing” smoking.

“It will only push more smokers away from taxed, legal cigarettes, and into the hands of the illicit market, taking money from the fiscus and enabling illegal cartels to grow their market share even more,” said Woode-Smith.

BUSINESS REPORT