The South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) has established a National Technical Committee (TC) to develop guidelines and standards on e-cigarette and vaping products.
BusinessTech reports that the SABS standardisation and guidelines will also include the products’ aligned components, including cartridges and reservoirs, and devise methods of test and analysis, product specifications, safety, and requirements for packaging, storage and transportation.
Some 350,000 South Africans use vaping products and sales in 2019 amounted to some R1,25bn.
The focus would be only on non-tobacco products.
The Health Department has a draft Bill on the control of Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems undergoing public inquiry.
The SABS said it would focus on vaping products and take into account the inclusions of the draft Bill, with the knowledge that “standards are voluntary in nature”.
The government is proposing a tax on vaping products of at least R2,90 per millilitre from 1 January 2023. Treasury proposes to introduce a specific excise tax on both the non-nicotine and nicotine solutions used in e-cigarettes and intends using its existing policy guidelines applicable to other excisable products to do svo.
BusinessTech article – New e-cigarette and vaping rules planned for South Africa (Open access)
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New vaping rules and taxes planned for South Africa