The former chairperson of Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Health, Sibongiseni Dhlomo, says South Africa has long embraced harm reduction in areas such as HIV prevention, sexual health and substance abuse, and the same approach should inform policy debates around smoking.
Government has a duty to enable harm reduction rather than simply telling South Africans to avoid risky behaviour, the former chairperson of Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Health, Sibongiseni Dhlomo, said on Tuesday.
Dhlomo said South Africa had long embraced harm reduction in areas such as HIV prevention, sexual health and substance abuse, and the same approach should inform policy debates around nicotine products.
His remarks come as Parliament prepares to begin clause-by-clause deliberations on the Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill, following the Health Portfolio Committee’s adoption of a motion of desirability in June, advancing the legislation to its next stage.
Addressing delegates at The Wellness Collective, a gathering focused on shifting South Africa from selling harm to promoting wellness, in Johannesburg, Dhlomo said government had a responsibility to reduce harm wherever possible, particularly when eliminating risky behaviour was unlikely.
