Speech by the Minister of Health Dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang at the World No Tobacco and Substance Abuse Awareness Day in Limpopo

Programme Director
Members of the Executive Council
Councillors
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen

Good Morning, Dumelang, Absheni, Ndimatsheloni

It gives me great honour to speak at this very important occasion, which is aimed at both creating public awareness on the detrimental effects of tobacco, drugs and alcohol, as well as galvanising society in the fight against such substance abuse. I am pleased to witness such a large turnout this morning. This indicates that you recognise the magnitude and the extent of the problem and the need to intensify our efforts to combat the scourge. It is also an expression of your commitment and affirms your determination to work with government to implement programmes aimed at developing our communities.

Abuse of tobacco, drugs and alcohol is causing an immense human suffering. It affects our economy, disrupts families and it is a threat to our security. Its negative impact is eroding many of the gains we have made. Collective action is required to counter the escalating incidences of tobacco, drug and alcohol abuse.

Programme Director, I am told that our theme for this event is "Promoting Healthy Lifestyles through No Tobacco and No Place for Drugs, 100% smoke-free and drug-free environment". But, we must not forget the problems of alcohol abuse and the incidents of trauma and violence associated with high levels of drinking. Allow me, Programme Director, to illustrate the work we have done to discourage substance abuse. The government has implemented a number of strategies to reduce smoking prevalence in the country. As I speak here today, the majority of our public places are smoke-free and those that do not adhere to our regulations will be prosecuted.

We have submitted the Tobacco Product Amendment Bill to parliament, which will strengthen tobacco control and significantly increase the fines for violation of our regulations. The Bill is currently with the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) and once approved, will go to the President for endorsement before it becomes law.

The Bill increases the age restriction for sale of tobacco from 16 to 18 years old. This means that all minors will no longer be allowed in a designated smoking area. The Bill also increases the penalties for the owner of a public place or employer who fails to ensure that there is no smoking in a smoke-free area, from R200 to a minimum of R20 000.

The penalty for selling tobacco products to a minor and for failure to comply with the regulations on vending machines has been increased from R10 000 to a minimum of R100 000. The penalty for advertising and giving away free cigarettes has been increased from R200 000 to a minimum of R1 million.

The proposed penalties in the Tobacco Product Amendment Bill are comparable to those of other Acts. For example, the fine for selling liquor to a person under 18 years is R1 million or five-years in prison. I have approved the Regulations Relating to the Labelling and Advertising of Alcohol Beverages and we expect them to be gazetted for public comment soon. The regulations will tighten the existing loopholes currently being exploited by the industry.

The regulations stipulate that:

* advertisements of alcohol beverages are not permitted on radio, cinema and television between 06h00 and 22h00
* advertisements and container labels for alcoholic beverages must contain health messages, which include a disclosure that consumption of alcohol increases your risk of many health problems, harms unborn babies, and distorts judgement as well as cause aggressive behaviour
* promotional materials on alcoholic beverages that are utilised during any organised activity also must contain or display health messages.

We have to be vigilant to protect our children. The Youth Risk Behaviour Survey of 2002 revealed that one in five learners attempt suicide because of mental health problems caused among other things by substance abuse. Over 10% learners smoke tobacco of which 6,2% of them first tried smoking before reaching the age of 10 years.

The National Cancer Registry estimates that tobacco use is responsible for about eight percent of all deaths in South Africa; alcohol alone is estimated to have contributed seven percent of the total burden from death and disability in this country. The economic costs of alcohol alone are estimated to be in the region of R9 billion a year. We are also seeing a growing link between drinking and engagement in high-risk sexual behaviour, such as having multiple sexual partners.

Ill health affects the productivity of every sector of the industry, and about 2,5 million working days are lost annually in this country from diseases related to tobacco products of any form being used. Furthermore, low-income households spend about four percent of their total expenditure on cigarettes. My fellow citizens, we cannot go on like this. This requires our immediate attention. We need the involvement of everyone to instil responsible behaviour in our communities. Issuing of licenses for liquor outlets should be done responsibly and not target or recruit young people by suggesting that smoking or drinking is cool, or is associated with success.

We have done a lot to create awareness around the benefits of healthy living since the launch of our Healthy Lifestyles Campaign, to prevent the onset of chronic diseases. The campaign promotes regular physical activity, good eating habits, while discouraging tobacco and alcohol abuse and unsafe sexual practices.

Through this campaign, we are trying to prevent and management most of the main causes of ill health and death in the country which can be grouped into three categories:
* communicable diseases (such as HIV and AIDS, tuberculosis (TB) and Malaria)
* non-communicable diseases (such as Diabetes, Cancer and Hypertension)
* violence and trauma

We have sustained this public health campaign by combining the use of the media for raising awareness and encouraging more utilisation of health screening services to enable the prevention, early detection and management of diseases such as diabetes, breast, cervix and prostate cancers.

While we call on our people to take care of their health, we, as government have a responsibility to create a healthy environment and to improve access to basic services that enhance good health. We need to encourage more responsible behaviour as an integral part of life of every ordinary South African. Let us be good role models to our children and discourage destructive behaviour.

Thank you for listening to me.

Issued by: Department of Health
11 July 2007