According to the Cancer Association of South Africa , an alarming number of teenagers and young adults are addicted to tobacco products.
“Tobacco use is a major contributor to a host of cancers. It’s responsible for 25% of all cancer deaths worldwide, amounting to an estimated 2.5 million deaths annually. Smoking accounts for about 85% of all lung cancer deaths, highlighting the critical need for concerted efforts to decrease tobacco use globally,” says Lorraine Govender, Cansa’s national manager of health programmes.
“They are marketed as ‘reduced risk’ and ‘smoke-free’, however, these products, like tobacco, contain addictive nicotine and pose health risks and undermine efforts to reduce the number of people who develop cancer and die from it. The 2023 Big Tobacco Tiny Target South Africa study, conducted by the South African Tobacco Free Youth Forum and part of a global campaign, observed 409 points of sale in South African cities that sell tobacco and nicotine products within a 300m radius of primary and secondary schools.