07 Apr 2020

Government has suspended the sale of tobacco and tobacco related products.

According to the Government Extraordinary Gazette dated April 5, importation or sale of tobacco and tobacco related products is prohibited during the state of public emergency.

In an interview, Anti-Tobacco Network (ATN) executive director, Professor Bontle Mbongwe applauded government’s decision to ban the sale of tobacco, saying tobacco use was an immediate threat to the control of COVID-19 spread.

Prof Mbongwe further said government’s ban of tobacco and sale of tobacco and related tobacco during the state of public emergency confirmed that tobacco and its products were non-essential commodities, hence tobacco sale was a non-essential business that could not be allowed to continue.

Again, she said smoking also destroyed the immune system hence weakening a smoker’s responsiveness to infections.

As coronavirus  is primarily a disease affecting the respiratory system, she noted that smokers were more vulnerable to developing severe COVID-19 which could result in prolonged hospitalisation under life support machines in intensive care units or death.

Therefore, she said people who smoked or used other tobacco products should be assisted to quit. ENDS