Government moves to close loopholes in anti-smoking legislation and raise fines are commendable and in the public interest. But the big test is whether enforcement of the regulations will be any better than is currently the case.
South Africa already has progressive laws restricting smokers to designated areas to protect people from the dangers of secondhand smoke. But lack of will by the authorities to enforce the law has allowed some restaurant owners, for example, to carry on as before without fear of severe sanctions. Small fines for those who have been caught out have not been a strong deterrent.
Further weakening the restrictions are loopholes in the current Act, which anti-tobacco activists and government contend are being exploited by the tobacco industry and make prosecutions for contraventions difficult.
These holes allow smoking near entrances of public buildings, at sports stadia and in creches, for instance, endangering the lives of non- smokers.
A World Health Organisation study found tobacco would in the future kill more people than the combined toll from Aids, malaria, TB and vehicle accidents. In November the Department of Health told parliament smoking was the leading preventable cause of death in the world, claiming 4.9 million lives a year - including 25 000 in SA.
That is 2.5 times more than die in road accidents. All the more reason to discourage those indulging in the vice. The government is on the right track.
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