I was invited to present at a session of South Africa’s parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health, which is examining the draft Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill, first introduced in 2022.
At the end of my presentation, committee members asked a wide range of questions. Due to the time constraints, the chair requested a written response to these.
My written response to questions is here: Follow-up response to members’ questions (PDF, 27 August 2025)
The questions raised were as follows (my wording).
- The relevance of the idea that “harm is harm”?
- What should a regulator do?
- What are the real harms of e-cigarettes? We don’t have long-term data.
- What is the right approach to youth?
- What about the gateway effect?
- Does tobacco harm reduction leave older people behind?
- How can these products work for people on low incomes?
- Should the health care system promote harm reduction?
- What is the experience of banning disposable products?
- Why shouldn’t we ban flavoured products to protect youth?
- What about hookah?
- Why didn’t you give a more complete picture of the situation in Japan?
- Why are you giving us tobacco industry talking points?
- Article 5.3: conflicts of interest, accountability, and foreign influence
My PowerPoint presentation to the committee [Google Drive] 19th August 2025
Submission to Committee: Written submission on the Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill David Abrams, Clive Bates, Ray Niaura, David Sweanor (31 August 2023)
Blog: South Africa’s Self-Harming Anti-Vaping Legislation (September 2023)
Thank you Clive, so clear and persuasive. I hope they listen