I suppose it’s about time the government knuckled down on their lax cigarette laws. Compared to the majority of the rest of the world, tobacco companies can get away with anything here at home.

But instead of forcing the companies to package their cigarette boxes with those awful images of black lungs, infected gums and ill-placed tumours, the government has said that the companies will have to print plain packaging.

Today is World No-Tobacco Day, so the drive for people to smoke less or not at all has come at the appropriate time.

Basically, Health Minister Aaron Matsoaledi plans to increase the distance from buildings at which smokers can stand, ban cigarette dispensers, ban the selling of cigarettes at shop counters and force companies to package their products in brown paper with no branding whatsoever.

Hipsters gonna love that.

Motsoaledi told SABC on Tuesday that the 2009 law reduced smoking from 25% to 17%.

“It is definitely working,” he said. “Many South Africans will tell you they appreciate the clean air.”

However, 44 000 South Africans still die every year as a result of smoking and Motsoaledi said the habit has “no place in modern life”.

Motsoaledi said South Africa has been overtaken on its hard stance on smoking, with the UK, Ireland, Australia and France all banning branded packaging. New Zealand announced on Tuesday that it would follow suit to fall in line with WHO recommendations.

“We have been overtaken,” said Motsoaledi, revealing his determination to bring South Africa back in line with global trends.

“Public smoking should not be (allowed) in hospitals at all,” he said. “At OR Tambo, you move through clouds of smoke when you leave the building.”

“They must go hide the cigarettes somewhere else,” he said. “They must not put it on open counters. Dispensers must also go.”

In addition, he said they would also tackle e-cigarettes. Praise the powers that be for this one.

“We are looking at it very carefully,” he said, explaining that at the last WHO conference a decision was made to package e-cigarettes like any other cigarette.

“Some have nicotine and are just as bad as normal cigarettes,” he said. “It introduces people to tobacco.”

Thankfully, due to the elections, these changes won’t be seen this year. Anyways, smokers are gonna smoke. Maybe the government should look at why people smoke instead.

Also, car fumes are pretty awful as well.

[source: fin24]