With thanks to Global Health Now:
'As new tobacco legislation makes its way through South Africa’s Parliament, industry opponents are tapping social media influencers to carry their key talking points—and cast a misleading picture about the bill.
'Background: The legislation, the Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Control Systems Bill, aims to prohibit the sale of loose cigarettes, among other restrictions.
• ~20 influencers have been posting that the bill will threaten the livelihoods of informal traders, a key industry message, and that the prohibition is part of a “secretive” government conspiracy.
• Health advocates and scientists say the misinformation is a deliberate tactic to sway public opinion against the government’s efforts to curb tobacco usage.'
See the bill here: https://static.pmg.org.za/B33-2022__Tobacco_Products_and_Electronic_Deli...
'The National Informal Traders Alliance of South Africa (NITASA) is a united voice of informal traders across the country. We are committed to protecting the rights of informal business owners, street vendors, and hawkers against unfair policies while advocating for economic empowerment and fair regulations.... Stand With Informal Traders. Fight the Unfair Tobacco Bill. The Tobacco Bill claims to protect public health, but in reality, it targets informal traders and threatens the livelihoods of thousands of hardworking South Africans. We are business owners, community pillars, and vital to the economy. Yet this Bill pushes us to the sidelines, drafted without listening to our voices or understanding our struggles.' https://nitasa.org.za/
HIFA profile: Neil Pakenham-Walsh is coordinator of HIFA (Healthcare Information For All), a global health community that brings all stakeholders together around the shared goal of universal access to reliable healthcare information. HIFA has 20,000 members in 180 countries, interacting in four languages and representing all parts of the global evidence ecosystem. HIFA is administered by Global Healthcare Information Network, a UK-based nonprofit in official relations with the World Health Organization. Email: neil@hifa.org