According to a major new report from the World Health Organization (WHO), tobacco use is declining globally, particularly in the developed world. However, the same cannot be said of low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) – with South Africa a notable case in point.
Like many of its neighbors on the continent, an initial decline in smoking has now started to plateau, and levels of tobacco usage remain unacceptably high at roughly 31% of the population.
On the bright side, the government has recently announced a new tobacco control bill which, if passed, would considerably restrict the sale, marketing, and consumption of tobacco products nationwide. But Pretoria’s past failures to pass more stringent regulations, as well as a burgeoning black market that has received tacit support from the tobacco industry, have raised questions about how far the country can go in the fight against smoking.
At a time when the biggest tobacco firms are shifting their focus squarely towards the developing world, however, it is more critical than ever that the government orchestrate a more coherent strategy to tackle tobacco consumption.
Halting steps forward
Last month, the country’s Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi published a new bill aimed at tackling tobacco consumption in five ways. In addition to complying with the WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) rulings on smoke-free establishments and packaging, it also proposes tighter regulation for e-cigarettes and in-store advertising, as well as eradicating cigarette vending machines altogether.
Although the new provisions sound promising, there are concerns that it may be many years before the bill actually sees the light of day. Indeed, South Africa was formerly one of the continent’s leading lights on reducing tobacco consumption, with a 40% fall in tobacco-related diseases between 1997 and 2012 directly attributable to the country’s early controls. However, the country’s progress has since fallen by the wayside, in large part due to infiltration by industry interests.
And not surprisingly, the industry has not been shy about voicing its opposition to this most recently proposed bill. As a result, public health proponents fear that the current legislation may go the same way as other, earlier efforts to curb unhealthy behaviors.
For instance, a similar draft bill addressing the advertising of alcohol in 2013 and another targeting junk food in 2014 were both announced with considerable governmental fanfare, but neither have yet overcome bureaucratic obstacles and industry-led impasses to translate into law.
Dubious opposition from Big Tobacco
According to key tobacco industry bodies, the Tobacco Industry of Southern Africa (TISA) and the South African Informal Traders Association (SAITA), there are a number of problems with the new anti-tobacco legislation – especially the fact that it was allegedly developed “without any regard for realities of informal trade”. To hear them tell it, by enacting new restrictions on informal traders, the legislation will have the unintended effect of actually worsening the illicit tobacco trade.
But this is nothing more than a smokescreen. Of course, it is true that illicit cigarettes – which account for an estimated 34% of the market – are a major issue in the fight against tobacco. But the multinational companies represented by TISA in particular are themselves a large part of the problem.
Industry complicit in the black market
Though it may seem at first glance that it would be in the industry’s interests to quell the illicit tobacco trade, in fact it is the other way around. A healthy black market, with its cheap and abundant supply of cigarettes, helps ensure a steady stream of new smokers and deters older ones from quitting. Additionally, industry participation in illicit trade has been a long and time-honored tradition around the world, particularly in markets that lack robust measures for tracking cigarette sales.
Unfortunately, South Africa has not proven immune to such skullduggery. In 2013, for instance, the South African Revenue Service (SARS) set up a taskforce to try to tackle illegal trade in tobacco, but a scandal surrounding industry infiltration of the unit led to its closure the following year. As a result, the taskforce’s initial plans to try and prosecute 15 major companies – notably industry leader British American Tobacco – over an estimated $1 billion in unpaid taxes soon fizzled out completely.
Today, the agency is a shadow of its former self: SARS has a measly eight employees dedicated to the illegal tobacco industry, although the revenue service is allegedly looking to reestablish units geared towards dealing with the problem.
The only way out
With such considerable opposition from industry on one hand, and the pitiful resources of government watchdogs on the other, the chances that South Africa will be able to turn around its disappointing record on tobacco usage certainly look slim. But as the WHO report has underlined, it is more critical than ever that the government pass the proposed anti-tobacco legislation – and stop the industry’s efforts to scuttle its campaign.
Of course, given the importance of South Africa and other developing markets to Big Tobacco’s wallets, this may be a tall order. But for the next WHO report to have less damning results, the country is going to need it.
By Steve K. Dave
