SOUTH AFRICA
South Africa’s vaping industry is demanding to be treated differently than the tobacco industry and allowed to sell its products online and by delivery during the level 3 Covid-19 lockdown and tobacco product sales ban.
Asanda Gcoyi, chief executive of the Vapor Products Association of South Africa (VPASA) said that treating cigarettes and safer alternatives, in the same manner, poses a significant problem. “Vaping is not smoking; those are two different things,” said Gcoyi, adding that while both products contain nicotine, it’s the tar in cigarettes which is not healthy.
VPASA urges the government to allow vapor products to be purchased online and by delivery during lockdown level 3, citing health reasons and economic impact.
“We’ve got about 5,000 direct jobs that are at risk and we’ve about 400-500 small businesses across South Africa, and a lot are on the brink of bankruptcy because they can’t sell,” said Gcoyi. “My other buying vape juice from shops we know nothing about, we hear it’s available at Spaza shops, stories that people are mixing juices at home, which is extremely dangerous, because they are just mixing things and the environment is not right.”