Faizel Patel – 11/06/2020
A journalist has told Radio Islam governments arguments on the COVID-19 cigarette ban is focused almost exclusively on the health implications of smoking and not on how the ban is effective in reducing the spread of the coronavirus.
The Fair-Trade Independent Tobacco Association (Fita) applied to the Pretoria High Court seeking to have the regulation declared invalid and unlawful.
Lawyers representing the Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said there was a reasonable possibility that banning the sale of cigarettes had assisted in preventing the overburdening of the health system due to COVID-19.
Times journalist Katherine Child says the World Health Organisation (WHO) put out a brief indicating that there are no studies which show that smokers get COVID-19 more than non-smokers.
“So the science isn’t there to back up the government’s claim that was in their legal papers that actually show that people who smoke get COVID-19 more often and that’s why they had to stop people smoking.”
Child says the regulations government made on smoking supposed to serve the purpose of reducing the spread of COVID-19.
She says the governments court papers also focused on concerns that smokers in poorer areas are likely to share a cigarette or ‘skyf’ and sit close together.
“The law has to have a reason. It is very important for the rule of law, for the government to make laws that have sense. So the government just stopping everyone smoking is not going to work. You are not providing support, people are stressed in lockdown, they don’t necessarily have the medication that can help them. Let’s get people to stop smoking, but you’ve got to do it the right way.”
Child says while the court application is an urgent matter, the judgement which has been reserved is expected to be handed down in a few days.
Listen to the interview with Katherine Child
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