President Urged to Act on Rising Youth Nicotine Addiction at SONA

Protect Our Next

Press Statement

12 February 2026

South African youth continue to face a deadly addiction – with continued exposure to vaping and other tobacco and nicotine products. Driven by lack of regulation, organisations from the Protect Our Next (PON) campaign – South Africa’s tobacco control advocates – are demanding that the Parliament and the President prioritise the Tobacco Control Bill and pass it – urgently.

The Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill, 2022 remains stuck with the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health – young people are appealing to President Cyril Ramaphosa to add the Tobacco Control Bill to his agenda during the upcoming State of the National Address (SONA).

South African Tobacco Free Youth Forums, Lesego Mateme said, “We are greatly concerned over Parliament’s lack of urgency and ongoing stalling by the Health Committee in processing the Bill and progressing it to the National Assembly. We urge President Ramaphosa to publicly address the stalling of the bill during his national address and make a commitment for its passage before the end of the year,”  This statement is supported by the latest research from the Africa Centre for Tobacco Industry Monitoring and Research (ATIM) at the University of Pretoria reporting that young people aged 16–34 are at the center of the rise in e-cigarette use in South Africa. More than one in ten (11.1%) people in this age group currently use e-cigarettes which is more than double the rate among those aged 35 and older (4.9%).

“The Tobacco Control Bill was published for public comments by the National Department of Health in 2018 and later introduced to Parliament in 2022. While much progress has been achieved by the Portfolio Committee on Health through public hearings, lack of progress since the conclusion of the Parliamentary public hearings is concerning. A legislation to protect public health and ordinary citizens should not take this long to pass, considering the first public consultation in 2018” said Ingrid Bame, Project Manager at the National Council Against Smoking (NCAS). 

This delay in policy is not only worrisome given the rising rates of nicotine and tobacco addiction but also leads to an increase in smoking-related diseases, further burdening South Africa’s healthcare system. “The estimated 30 000 tobacco-related deaths annually, alongside the over R40 billion in government expenditure linked to tobacco-related harm, reinforces  the urgent need for the President to prioritise the Tobacco Control Bill and for Parliament to act swiftly in passing it.” said Zinhle Ngcobo, Research Psychologist & Project Assistant for Protect Our Next (PON).

Stop Delaying The Tobacco Control Bill

Under the Protect Our Next (PON) campaign, civil society organisations, and tobacco control youth advocates will gather outside Cape Town City Hall during the State of the Nation Address (SONA) to publicly challenge the continued delay of the Tobacco Control Bill. The picket will confront policymakers on the lack of progress, and call for urgent, concrete commitments to fast-track the Bill. Media are invited to attend and engage as organisations make their voices heard and hold decision-makers accountable. Minenhle Dlamini, Project Coordinator for the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) said “We trust that this picket will send a clear message to policymakers that the continued delay of the Tobacco Control Bill is unacceptable. We expect this action to place renewed pressure on decision-makers to take our concerns seriously and move with urgency to fast-track the Bill.”

Since the conclusion of oral presentations in September 2025, during which the Health Portfolio Committee received submissions from industry, public health experts, and civil society, there has been no visible progress.  “There is no evidence to justify delaying the Bill. These delays serve only the interests of the tobacco and nicotine industries, which benefits from prolonging a process while preventable deaths continue,” said Siphesihle Gwambe, Project Coordinator at the Africa Centre for Tobacco Industry Monitoring and Research (ATIM).

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Partners in the Protect Our Next Campaign: South African Medical Research Council (Mental health, Alcohol, Substance use & Tobacco Research Unit); South African Tobacco Free Youth Forum; National Council Against Smoking; Africa Centre for Tobacco Industry Monitoring and Research; Cancer Association of South Africa;