Vaping is not a safe form of smoking for youngsters (or adults) warns CANSA

This year’s theme for World No Tobacco Day on 31 May is Unmasking the Appeal: Exposing the Industry Tactics on Tobacco and Nicotine Products. It’s about revealing how the tobacco and nicotine industries make their harmful products seem attractive, particularly to young people, through manipulative marketing, appealing flavours and deceptive product designs.

On 30 May this year, CANSA, in collaboration with the South African Tobacco Free Youth Forum (SATFYF) is hosting youth-led walks in Cape Town, Durban, Bloemfontein and Johannesburg to bring attention to the big tobacco companies purposefully marketing their products to youngsters. Walks take place from 9:00am to 12 midday, on the day and young people are encouraged to participate – please contact az.gro.asnac@inimaldm to take part.

After the walking events, CANSA and SATFYF will be submitting a memorandum of demands to parliament that demonstrate support for the formulation of the Tobacco Control Bill. The two organisations will urge the Portfolio Committee on Health to continue prioritising the health of the nation and expedite the passage of the Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill. They will also emphasise that delays will lead to increased recruitment of young individuals by the tobacco industry, resulting in higher rates of nicotine addiction and tobacco-related illnesses, including cancer.

Lesego Mateme, project coordinator at SATFYF, says, “In Johannesburg, we walking to the Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa to submit a memorandum aimed at raising awareness about the dangers of tobacco-related products. In particular, we want to highlight the harmful consequences of allowing the subliminal advertising and promotion of these products through broadcast channels. Such promotions often glamorise the use of vapes and hubbly bubblies, associating them with a luxurious lifestyle and success, which misleads the public — especially young people — about the risks involved.”

CANSA is warning young people and their parents, guardians and educators that vaping is not a safe option. Minenhle Dlamini, CANSA’s tobacco control programme coordinator and social worker, adds, “In spite of claims that vaping is a ‘harmless alternative’ to smoking, there is ever-increasing evidence of serious health risks. These risks include nicotine addiction, lung damage and the increased likelihood of moving onto traditional tobacco products. A new generation of nicotine-dependent individuals is being created with seemingly innocent flavoured vapes and sleek, tech-inspired designs targeting young consumers.”

The problem in South Africa

• A *2023 study found that 16.83% of the 25,149 South African high school students (grades 8 to 12) from 52 schools surveyed were using vaping products, while 36.71% reported having used vaping products. The odds of vaping increased by grade but did not depend on how wealthy the school was. Of those learners who vaped, 47% did so within the first hour of waking, suggesting high nicotine addiction.
  
• South Africa’s current tobacco control policies do not effectively regulate vaping, allowing the industry to exploit legal loopholes.
  
• Nicotine addiction among adolescents has been linked to cognitive impairment, increased anxiety and an increased risk of developing smoking-related diseases later in life.
  
• Vape shops and online retailers often fail to verify age, making access easy for underage users.

The 2023 Big Tobacco Tiny Target South African study, conducted by the SATFYF, revealed that tobacco products are being sold, displayed and marketed purposefully to attract children. Big Tobacco, Tiny Targets is a global campaign that monitors tobacco industry marketing that targets young people by observing the advertising of tobacco and nicotine products (TNPs) near primary and secondary schools.

The 2023 study observed a total of 409 TNP points of sale within a 300-metre radius of primary and secondary schools in the cities of Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Pietermaritzburg, Pretoria and Stellenbosch. Almost half or 45.2% of the points of sale were spaza shops and small grocery stores. The findings revealed that the majority (92.2%) of the points of sale sold cigarettes and 68.2% of them displayed these products at children’s eye level.**

CANSA’s proposed solutions

1. Stronger regulations: CANSA calls for the fast-tracking of the Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill to ban child-friendly flavours, impose strict advertising controls, and enforce age verification for all tobacco-related product purchases.
   
2. Education and awareness: Schools, parents, and community leaders must launch comprehensive anti-vaping campaigns to educate youngsters on the hidden dangers of vaping, including its impact on brain development.
   
3. Social media accountability: Stricter regulations on paid influencer promotions should be implemented to prevent deceptive marketing tactics.
   
4. Holding tobacco companies accountable: CANSA supports higher taxation on vaping products to curb affordability and discourage youth uptake.
   
5. Access to cessation support: Government and health organisations must provide accessible nicotine addiction treatment and counselling services for young people who want to quit.
   

CANSA offers a free online smoking cessation programme that provides guidance, mentorship and practical tools to help smokers to quit for good.

*Electronic cigarette usage amongst high school students in South Africa: a mixed methods approach - eClinical Medicine Richard N. van Zyl-Smita, Samantha Filby, Gurveen Soina, Jacqueline Hoarec, Asya van den Bosch, Sebastian Kurten. Electronic cigarette usage amongst high school students in South Africa: a mixed methods approach. eClinical Medicine. 2024; 78:10297010(2):123-132.

**South African Tobacco Free Youth Forum Big Tobacco, Tiny Targets South Africa 2023 [Fact Sheet]. Accessed 16 May 2025. https://satfyf.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/SATFYF-FACT-SHEET-Final-Copy-30-May.pdf