The government’s efforts to limit the influence of the tobacco industry weakened during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a report released on Tuesday by the global tobacco industry watchdog STOP.
The report analysed reports from civil society organisations in 80 countries to gauge their success in meeting commitments to the “It is worth noting that the countries that faced most interference are also countries that are lagging far behind in their overall tobacco control measures,” Assunta said in a virtual briefing, citing SA, Guatemala, Tanzania and Zambia as examples.
The draft control of Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Bill was released for public comment more than three years ago, in May 2018, but has yet to be submitted to parliament.