The tobacco industry would like ”constructive and sensible” talks with the government over proposed changes to the smoking laws, industry representative Francois van der Merwe said on Monday.
However, the health ministry adviser driving the amendments, Patricia Lambert, was ”a bit of a fanatic”, he said.
Van der Merwe, who chairs the Tobacco Institute of Southern Africa, was commenting on a series of get-tough changes outlined by Lambert at the weekend.
They include a ban on cigarette vending machines, a dramatic increase in fines, an increase in the age limit for cigarette sales from 16 to 18, and more graphic health warnings.
Van der Merwe said the industry supported the increase in the age limit, saying it had just launched a youth smoking prevention programme of its own, suggesting to retailers that they not sell to under-18s.
The vending machine ban however could ”wipe out” that industry, there were questions over the workability and reasonableness of the increase in fines, and a proposal to clamp down on point-of-sale signage would affect industry investment worth millions.
”I don’t say we are dead against it [the signage changes], but at least we want to talk about it,” he said.
”If we can have a give and take attitude, we can have reasonable legislation…. We just want to sit with government around the table and talk about these things.”
However, Lambert was not known as a reasonable person, hated the tobacco industry, and did not really want to talk to it.
”She would like this country to be without a tobacco industry,” he said.
”She’s a bit of a fanatic: she’s pushing things a bit far. I’m prepared to talk with reasonable people, but the moment you cross roads with fanatics, you won’t get anywhere, and that’s the problem we have in this case.”
Lambert said in reaction that on the instructions of Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, her door was always open to constructive and open debate.
”I have met with various stakeholders within the tobacco industry on various occasions, and would clearly be willing to do so again once the proposed amendments are published for public comment.”
She doubted that it was correct that the vending machine ban would wipe out the industry, because vendors sold a number of other products besides cigarettes. – Sapa