“First they came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist
Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist
Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist
Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew
Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me”
— Pastor Martin Niemöller
This month, the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health has made a call for submissions about the Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill. This Bill will have serious repercussions for electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) and electronic non-nicotine delivery systems (ENNDS), more commonly known as vapes.
The quote above by Pastor Martin Niemöller, which was written just after the Holocaust, is basically a warning about the dangers of indifference or lack of interest. And while I’m not comparing reforms in the tobacco and vapour industries to evil acts done to the oppressed, the quote’s argument for civil rights and collective action applies to what we’d like to do here: oppose misguided and potentially harmful regulations that can have negative effects on public health in the future.
As someone who has worked in the vapour industry for several years, I am against many of the regulations in the Bill, specifically the restrictions on flavours. Simply put, it will affect sales and the health of many people. Flavoured e-liquids help adults to quit smoking as they help them move away from combustible cigarettes to a less-harmful alternative.
Restricting flavours will end up restricting sales of these less-harmful alternatives for those people who are attracted to a specific flavour or, worse, by limiting people to only two flavours — menthol or tobacco — you aren’t giving people much of a choice and they may end up going back to smoking or not trying to quit at all. Additionally, prohibiting flavours could result in a black market. There isn’t one instance where prohibition — even as recently as the alcohol and smoking and vaping bans during the COVID-19 pandemic — has had a successful or desired result; it just inevitably causes a black market. And when there’s a black market, ordinary citizens are the ones who are harmed.
As an industry, we have always welcomed regulation because we care about our customers and other citizens very much. However, the regulations proposed in this Bill and the impacts they will have on citizens and the sector have not been carefully considered. It’s our duty as vapers, as citizens and as an industry to come together and let the government know how this Bill will negatively affect our health and our livelihoods.
Craig Pieterson is General Manager and buyer for Vaper’s Corner, with branches in Equestria, Kyalami and Atterbury Value Mart. To make a submission on the proposed Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill, visit vpasa.org.za.
