Vapeboss – As we all know, vaping is one of the alternatives for people who want to quit smoking. Several countries like America, England, Australia, and even Indonesia have specific missions to control tobacco and minimize its risks. Therefore, regulation is crucial in determining the steps to be taken. Regulation is a set of rules created to control a policy to prevent violations and ensure compliance by all members of society. Generally, regulation is an abstract concept of managing complex systems according to a set of rules and trends. Regulations exist in various aspects of societal life. Thus, the primary function of regulation is to control or supervise every action taken by humans. Regulations governing these alternative products can include imposing taxes or excise duties on every sale.

The situation is different in South Africa. South Africa has already imposed taxes on e-liquids, even before issuing specific laws or regulations to legally recognize and regulate vaping products. South Africa has a population of over 60 million and the second-largest economy in Africa (after Nigeria). According to the 2021 Global Adult Tobacco Survey, 25.8 percent of South Africans over 15 years old are heavy smokers, enabled by the rampant sale of cheap cigarettes available on the black market.

The tax policy, effective June 1st, applies to all e-liquids, whether sold in bottles, pre-filled pod cartridges, or disposable pod devices, at 2.90 South African Rand or approximately $0.15 US per milliliter. A 60 mL bottle of e-liquid will be taxed at R174 or approximately $9 US. This tax could double the price of vape products for consumers. The wholesale tax is essentially the same as what the country's finance minister proposed in his 2022 budget speech. It applies to all vape products, with or without nicotine.

According to Asanda Gcoyi, CEO of the Vaping Products Association of South Africa (VPASA), the domestic vaping industry in South Africa is projected to lose a quarter of its revenue and over 2,000 jobs. He stated that many people would return to smoking and others would find cheaper vape products on the black market. To date, there are no laws or regulations governing vaping products in the country, not even a minimum age law for purchasing vapes.

The Tobacco Products and Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems Control Bill, which has been in progress since 2018, plans to add vaping products to South Africa's existing tobacco control legislation. The bill, still being debated in Parliament, is expected to group cigarettes and vapes into one category, and apply smoking bans to vaping, as well as a ban on online sales.

Source: Vaping360

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