Posted by 6 months ago. … Enforcement and compliance have been strong. There are now indications that the cigarette ban could last well until lockdown Level 1. Dheda said when the Covid-19 crisis is over, South Africans should not forget about other respiratory diseases that still kill South Africans in numbers — such as tuberculosis. Please don't make make us criminals. I live in South Africa where our police commissioner has introduced a strict rule of no selling of any alcohol or any cigarettes. Smoking is allowed in a designated area if: – it is sealed off from the rest of the premises, – a functioning extractor fan is installed in the area, – social distancing protocols are observed. Three months later, the country is the only one to maintain the ban, despite much criticism. But also on their families and obviously on the income of many retailers, causing a snow ball effect. She said lessons to be learnt from the ban on the sale of cigarettes during the lockdown included the power of the tobacco industry “to convince people cigarettes are essential and make some people protest the ban”. The government’s decision to ban the sale of cigarettes during the country’s Covid-19 lockdown has been declared unconstitutional. 1. Greenland’s capital city, Nuuk, has banned the sale of alcohol for fears violence against children will increase during the lockdown. During the lockdown only essential goods have been allowed on sale2. South Africa (SA) imposed a 21-day lockdown from 26 March to 16 April 2020, through the disaster management Act (57/2002) and amended regulations [Section 27(2)]1, to contain the spread of the coronavirus in the country. container: 'taboola-below-article-thumbnails', Ts & Cs Cigarettes have had graphic pictures since 2005, and advertising is banned. The country has also closed schools and banned many public events. Prof Andrew Nicol, head of trauma at that Cape Town hospital, recently said that since the lockdown, trauma cases had dropped by two-thirds. Two major cigarette companies have filed to challenge the constitutionality of the ban. The country lifted the ban on June 24. Three months later, the country is the only one to maintain the ban, despite much criticism. Currently, those who smoke are advised to be prepared to not be able to purchase tobacco during the lockdown. According to FITA, the ban on tobacco products is “invalid and unconstitutional” and has had an extremely detrimental effect on smokers as well as on the economy. “I think we have also discovered that large sections of our population are dependent on alcohol and we should implement these broad public health measures to create a context in which heavy drinking is discouraged.”. As the country awaits President Cyril Ramaphosa’s pronouncement on whether the ban on the sale of alcohol will be relaxed, a leading expert on alcohol and drugs has warned that drastic measures to reduce the dependency on alcohol by many South Africans should be applied after the lockdown. In an affidavit filed with the high court in Pretoria on May 27, Co-operative Governance & Traditional Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma explained the reasons behind the highly controversial tobacco ban. Most countries have not banned outdoor exercise: the UK has classified it an “essential activity”, while Paris has restricted exercise to morning and evening hours. She said the lockdown has also shown that quitting smoking is possible. EMAIL. placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails', South Africa is only one of three countries in the world to have banned cigarettes during the pandemic (along with Botswana and India). Alcohol sales are also currently banned in South Africa after the country imposed a strict lockdown to avoid the spread of coronavirus. Available research suggests that smokers are at higher risk of developing severe disease and death.”. There has been some confusion as to the purpose of the temporary ban of alcohol and tobacco sales during the 21-day lockdown. Thus the below forecast has started to become reality. _taboola.push({ This will be a total lockdown for April. During the lockdown only essential goods have been allowed on sale2. “In the immediate period post lockdown, we will probably need to return to the lockdown lite provisions and only allow off-consumption outlet sales of alcohol with restricted hours, such as 9am-5pm on weekdays and 9am-1pm on weekends and public holidays.”. Ramaphosa is expected to announce on Friday whether alcohol sales will be restricted during the next two weeks of lockdown. South Africa’s lockdown began March 27, and the country banned the sale of cigarettes and cooked food. Eusebius McKaiser speaks … Pretoria High Court is expected to soon rule on a challenge against the ban brought forth by the Fair Trade Independent Tobacco Association (Fita). Have any other countries banned both cigarettes and alcohol during the lockdown? Tobacco and nicotine products were designated as non-essential goods and their sales prohibited. South Africa is only one of three countries in the world to have banned cigarettes during the pandemic, along with Botswana and India. The sale of tobacco and other related products has been banned in South Africa since March 26, when lockdown first began. Why you can’t have cigarettes and alcohol during lockdown Published by capeetc on March 26, 2020 Those who indulge in alcohol and tobacco products have been in uproar since ministers in an inter-ministrial briefing announced that the sale of alcohol and tobacco will be deemed “non-essential” during the 21-day lockdown period. Contact Enforcement and compliance have been strong. She said 80% of smokers in SA started smoking as children, when they could not be legally held responsible for their decisions. Catherine Egbe, a specialist scientist at the SAMRC whose interest is tobacco use, suggested  the government should continue to impose strict restrictions on tobacco use even after the lockdown. Read more at the SA government's online coronavirus portal or use the 24-hour public hotline: 0800 029 999, Police minister Bheki Cele is a hot topic during the lockdown, Cigarettes worth almost R1m were seized in Cape Town, metro police said on Friday. Most other countries have not banned the sale of either alcohol or cigarettes. Alcohol off-licence supplies have been disrupted in New Zealand with the lock down. The Western Cape … Have any other countries banned both cigarettes and alcohol during the lockdown? This follows demands made by the Gauteng Liquor Forum, which proposed that the ban should be lifted on the sale of alcohol. Dlamini-Zuma adds that the ban could lead to many young and old smokers to quit the habit. Botswana joined South Africa in instilling a cigarette ban when their lockdown began. According to the World Health Organisation, a review of studies by public health experts found that smokers are more likely to develop severe disease with COVID-19, compared to non-smokers. Nicol said before the lockdown the hospital used to see about 1,100 patients a month, with 60% of cases due to interpersonal violence and 30% from road traffic injuries. Parry said that during the lockdown it became clear many South Africans were addicted to alcohol. I saw people on Facebook openly asking where they can buy cigarettes during lockdown. Australia has urged other countries to adopt the world's toughest law on cigarette promotion, which was upheld Wednesday by the country's … Batsa vindicated by unconstitutional ban on tobacco during lockdown . There have been many reports globally about nature bouncing back and wildlife returning to areas where it has not been seen for many years, and levels of pollution have markedly reduced. South African Resource Portal, SA only country to still ban cigarette sales during lockdown. “An issue of considerable importance in many countries is that of cigarette smuggling. If we must not ban them outright, there must be stricter regulations to prevent people from getting addicted before they become aware of the risks of addiction these products pose.”. … The country has banned imports and sales of tobacco or tobacco ... A survey done in South Africa of how smokers are coping with the ban on cigarette sales during lockdown … Have any other countries banned both cigarettes and alcohol during the lockdown? In South Africa, whenever the excise tax on tobacco products is increased, the industry claims that this will increase smuggling activities. This is creating a very negative effect, not only on the users of Tobacco products/ cigarettes. About 90% of people who wanted to buy cigarettes during the lockdown were able to do so, albeit at inflated prices, an online survey of 16,000 people conducted by … A shopkeeper who refused to sell cigarettes during the lockdown was stabbed to death, police said on Thursday. Alcohol sales are also currently banned in South Africa after the country imposed a strict lockdown to avoid the spread of coronavirus. University of Cape Town professor of pulmonology Keertan Dheda said when the  lockdown ends and the virus pandemic subsides, South Africans should have more respect for nature. Dlamini-Zuma explains in the court papers that the temporary ban during lockdown was put in place to protect human life and health, as well as to reduce the potential strain on the healthcare system. Sponsored "We need people to go to work but stay home afterwards," Prime Minister Andrej Babis said in a press conference. window._taboola = window._taboola || []; Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, the world has seen lockdowns in many countries. She also argues that there are a number of behavioural risks connected to tobacco use that could heighten COVID-19 transmission. 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