REEP to present to Portfolio Committee on Health, on the Tobacco Products & ENDS Control Bill

The Research Unit on the Economics of Excisable Products (REEP) made a written submission to the Portfolio Committee on Health, on the Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill [B33 -2022] in August 2023. The Committee has now invited the unit to present its input on the Bill, and engage with the Committee, at a virtual meeting to be held on Thursday, 28^th August 2025.

The South African government had called for the public to comment on the Control of Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Bill, that is meant to replace the Tobacco Products Control Act of 1993 and its subsequent amendments. The Bill seeks to align South African legislation with the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC). South Africa urgently needs to strengthen tobacco control laws to improve public health outcomes.

REEP's detailed comments noted that following an assessment of the available evidence on each of the Bill’s proposed legislative changes, the bill should be "accepted as is". 

In 2016, REEP conducted a comprehensive 280 page study which was an input to the subsequent socio-economic assessment on the new bill done by the National Department of Health. In REEP's 2023 submission to the Committee, Prof. Corné van Walbeek (REEP Director) articulated the hope that the Bill would be implemented without delay, as it was well overdue, and in the meantime, the death toll associated with tobacco use remained unacceptably high. In 2012, tobacco smoking caused an estimated 31 000 deaths, accounting for 7% of total deaths of all ages. In 2016, the economic cost of smoking was approximately R42 billion (about 1% of GDP).

He also urged the Committee to check the funding sources of the research they cite, as much of the research they use could be funded by the tobacco and vaping industries who have vested financial interests.

Read the full submission.