On 11 March the Minister of Finance announced the taxation of electronic cigarettes from 2021, as the government is concerned about the potential long-term health harm related to the use of these products.
In recent years, new generation products such as electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) and electronic non-nicotine delivery systems (ENNDS) have been introduced in the market. These products, also known as electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), are battery-powered devices that do not burn or use tobacco leaves but instead vaporise an e-liquid solution to create an aerosol which the user then inhales. The e-liquid contains nicotine/non-nicotine and other chemicals and/or flavouring chemicals that may be toxic to people’s health.
Globally, there is growth in the marketing and use of ENDS/ENNDS, and in some instances, high consumption of these products is amongst the youth. In South Africa, the marketing and distribution of ENDS/ENNDS is still unregulated and there are signs that the use of these products is growing
To begin the consultation process on the treatment of electronic cigarettes National Treasury will convene an initial stakeholder consultation workshop hosted jointly with the National Department of Health.
The details of the workshop are as follows:
Date: 25 March
Time: 09:00 to 11:00
Venue: Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), Midrand
Story by: Riaan de Lange