Stop Smoking

awesome!

its about time!

Nice one

Truly good news, I say they must ban smoking all toghether, get rid of the tobaco companies in SA

Yay

Can't say I am sorry. Hope for the smokers that our winter is not too cold this year. Because now you're definitely outside.

will it make a difference?

but why is it ok to advertise alcohol during peak hours, on hundreds of billboards, ive never had an issue walking down the road and passing a smoker, but ever tried to get passed a homeless drunk, whos pissing on the sidewalk, throwing up and harrassing you for cash... then the drunk celeb who kills four kids due to his drinking... think many more probs caused by drinking than smoking.. and im actually a non-smoker....

LOL

have to ask, when are they going to ban breathing.... more toxic polution in the air in JHB than in smokes.... I quit smoking two years, and wont start again, but this is really stupid.

Smoking

I am a responsible smoker &  always respect those who do not smoke.
A pity these laws do NOTHING to prevent Jub Jub from mowing down defenseless children on the side walk.
Those who are sooooooooooo outspoken about people who smoke...why oh why are you so silent about the alcohol industry?
Alcohol destroys families...period!

Smoking laws

Concentrate on how are you resolving the AIDS issue and how are you going to diliver the housing bach lock and lastly close all the tobacco companies and stop impossing more tax in tobacco companies for your benefit becouse we as smokers are dinnied our rights.

F*ck all of you

I smoke but hearing all your comments really pisses me off... you all want a say in someone elses lives..... F*ck you all.... stop crime first before you start with crap like this... by the way, now none of my friends with kids are welcome in my home... screw the little sh*ts anyway

Hahaha

At least if you're a homeless drunk, all you need to do is light up somewhere you're not supposed to and the state will give you a bed for the night.

Ex-smoker

I used to smoke. Clean for about 2 years :) . I am glad the laws are getting stricter and stricter. Its a disgusting habit!

Smoking

Please don't smoke, but it is ok to Rape and Kill!!!! What a lot of bullshit!! Wake up goverment, there's more important issues to worry about than Who, What, Were to Smoke..really.!

A smoking burglar

Just think, maybe if someone broke into your home and attacked you and you shot him, you could get away with it by saying he was smoking a cigarette.

E -siggie

any laws on smoking the electronic sigarette?
Let's get petty....

To Quinton

This is Pettyville. Welcome.

to anon

Oh sorry..I forgot...let me go back at laughing at the malema jokes...lol

Awesome

Awesome stuff, a step in the right direction!

Improving our health???

But it’ s okay to dump sewerage into our rivers and to pollute our air with busses and trucks.
Who will police this as we do not have enough police officers as it is?!
Another pointless law that means nothing!

Amen

It's about time. I could have done all of this in one sentence: " fcuk all the smokers" . Cigarettes should be banned and anyone who fails to quit is a failure of the worst kind!

polution

the anti smoking cadre must stop driving cars, running fridges, using aerosol spray cans etc. Exhaust gases kill !!
Mindless dumb F%^ks

health

...here...have yourself a glass of water...sure to give you diarrhea...there,there. Take a nice big sip. I'll pour you another glass as soon as you finish this one....do you have medical aid?

E-sigarettes

Yes, these " electronic sigarettes"  fall under the same law as tabacco. Who are you fooling anyway with these e-sigarettes....only yourself.

I love smoking!

And I'll keep on smoking. All you damn hippies, next we should go back to riding horses and live without electricity because the gasses are all poisoness. Please, go live in your Amish colonies if you wish to do so.

Like many people stated above, there are far more serious things to worry about.

Right...

...here we go again:
1. Yes, of course we need to fight alcoholism and crime and other societal ills. But tightening up anti-tobacco legislation doesn't make cracking down on drunk driving, for example, any less important. HOWEVER
2. Smoking is a VERY important problem to tackle: 5 million deaths a year, many millions more ill and disabled. Yes, I think so.
3. These are not petty laws. There are excellent reasons for all of them, which I think I should add to to the article asap.

E-sigarettes

Does it really fall under the same laws? Or are you just making it up to scare me. HAHAHA - the jokes on you. I am a non smoker that is more worried about Malema and Zuma running my country...! I guess the fools are those that want to quit by getting the e-sigarette, but hey...they are not using my money...lol

WTF

F*$kin&  Nazi " let's pick on the easy target"  crap!

Destroying yourself

Hey

Wow that's a rather interesting vocab you have there? When last did you smoke? 30min ago? You already seem on edge.

Look you can keep destroying your body and lungs all you want, but you better stay away from me. Your house must smell terrible by now if no one under 12 is allowed in there.

@ Hendrik

Foeitog - get a live boy! You must be such a pityful creature. I smoke, look after myself and mind my own business. Best you try it - you'll have a life at least.

Blow your own smoke

I'm the biggest advocate of freedom of choice and actions. No one is stopping you from smoking, just please go do it somewhere else.

drug

Its time that they ban one of the legalised drugs, nicotene. Smoking only does harm, it does not build up at all.

NCAS

I am glad that the National Council Against Smoking does take up the cause of aggrieved non-smokers who want to sit outside at a restaurant and the owners have declared it a smoking area. The withdrawal of liquor licences is an excellent stick in the hands of the law enforcers. COMPLY or CLOSE DOWN SIMPLE.

everything counts

Yes, crime and everything else also needs attention, but no point in allowing smokeing in public places etc just because other things need MORE attention.
There is nothing worse than a non-smoker having to sit inside while the smoker sit on the balconies of restaurants enjoying a view......if you can't last a full meal without smoking.....that's your problem, not the non-smokers. Second hand smoke is PROVEN to be a health risk, good on the government for doing something about it.

Our Health

...smoking it polluting the air we are breathing!!!! No we need to go to the next step...
1. Heavily tax the use of cars, especially every thing with engines bigger than 1200cc (maybe even less)
2. Fine cars traveling with only one occupant, force people to use public transport
3. Charge overweight people extra for airfare etc. (for the additional strain they put on the environment)
4. Limit the power consumption for households (with big fines for over consumption)

… it always easy to think of new rules (laws) if it does not impact yourself… 

Law

In SA you can murder, steal, rape, blow up ATM's, drive in yellow EMERGENCY lanes, give no service delivery, have no electricity, undrinkable water.... " SOLANK JY NET NIE F*KKEN ROOK NIE!" 

Smoking

This is getting crazy, I smoke and I am not ashamed to say it...i was driving home the other day and lit up, I was stopped by a police officer and told I was not allowed to smoke in my car, (Iwas on my own)....so, instead of passing laws, educate the police because clearly they are incompetent. I can think of so many other issues that need to be addressed.....this government is a joke and until they get rid of them all, this is the trivial things that they will be concentrating on.....

yawn...

To be honest I've been aware of these laws for quite a while now. Don't really see what all the fuss is about. I still smoke when I want to smoke. And trying to dump e-cigarettes under the same category is about as petty and silly as you get. The laws are against the burning of tobacco products, not the vapourisation of an alcohol you'll find in half the food coloring you ingest. They just added a little nicotine. Quite simple really. All this bickering is simply pathetic if you ask me...

Fine drinkers and cellphone users too

I hope they would have stricter control for motorists who drink and drive and kill innocent children and those who drive using cell phones. It would be fair then and I think smokers will not mind if the drunken drivers (Who kill people) and cellphone users are also heavily penalised.

Sitting outside

Most non smokes have to bannish them selves to indoors while smokes sit out side. Who is talking about fairness?

Smoking &  Driving

Why not just ban smoking and driving altogether!

Ban smoking

All of you who are think smoking should be banned are stupid if you knew how much the government was making off the tax on smokes you would keep very quiet ! because guess who has the last laugh smokers because when the government isnt cashing in on smokers who will they tax to make up the smokers portion !? &  as a smoker if I quite i save close on R2500 a month which means i wont suffer half as bad as you non smokers would if we get taxed more so HA HA HA

smoking better than drinking????

If they must ban smoking, then they must ban alcohol. A bottle of whatever alcohol can ruin more lives than a packet of cigarettes, it's only because these people like their drinks so much that they go after the smokers. I say if you ban one, ban all, then everybody is safe.

Ridiculous

Theer's only one word to describe this - RIDICULOUS. When do they ban automobiles, coal-fired power stations, polluting factories and veld fires???

The excuse smokers always use

is " what about all the crime, etc" ,just because those things are also wrong doesn't mean you shouldn't be more considerate. And this is the crux. Most smokers are not considerate. They always think about their own supposed liberties that are being impinged apon. Well let me enlighten you: You have no liberties when smoking anywhere near someone else. Passive smoking is harmful, fact. You don't not have the right to harm my health by your selfish behaviour. Don't put your weakness on me or mine.

Poor little kids

Ag shame, now those under 12 year olds will have to walk, or ride on the roofrack or the back of the bakkie if their parents want to smoke in their own cars. Why don't they think first before they come up with these stupid ideas.

LOL

You know what the biggest joke of all is.....the amount of time it took for politicians to sit around the table to decide what measures should be put in place to ban smoking.....and here I thought that actual business was taking place in parliament.....no wonder people like Jub Jub get away with murder...they have not got around the table yet to discuss what if celebreties kill innocent children? They dont have a page in a book to refer to.....damn.....

@ Anon Comment 37

Read your post again and tell me how ridiculous you sound!

@ All Non-Smokers

Pity you have to live our lives, bored with your own are you. My body, my lungs, going with me one day when I'm gone. As for medical aid, hardly use it however have to pay for all you non-smokers that are sick, fat and very unhealthy.

CIGARETTE BUTTS

Now ban cigarettes with filters as every second a*shole throws them down anywhere. If you drive you see smokers throwing them out of windows, if you sit in a park or on the beach you are surrounded by sigarette butts. You smokers are a filthy lot who polute the air and the environment!

lol

best comments so far... as far as the comment that 'alcohol destroys families', bullsh*t, irresponsible f• • ks destroy families

wtf

ag *** ek gaan rook sommer nog een

WTF

If only the goverment can spend this much time on crime, corruption, hatespeech etc. than they do on smoking, we would have a different country. It's because of incompetent people in goverment that money is spend on name changes and parties for the goverment and luxury vehicles. Sort out South Africa then I will stop smoking.

F*ck you Thobi n every1 else who doesnt like it

lets see, I guess its coz we smokers have a smoke, get really intoxicated and then beat up our children and wives or rape women or cause hectic accidents and kill people all from smoking...yes our homes do smell like smoke but people who drink smell awfull too!!!

2 sides

Side 1:
Why would an owner of any privately own pub, bar or restaurant not be allowed to make the place exclusively an all smokers place. Any business owner in the hospitality industry should be allowed to decide what happens on it's own premises.

Side 2:
More needs to be done.
Ban smoking at entrances to buildings and shopping centers. People and small children unfortunately have to walk through all this smoke.
Ban smoking in sports stadiums. Maybe then I will take my family again to sport.

Ugh

Each and everyone of you are bigots. I cannot believe that people can be so simple and small minded. Please people, grow up and start acting like the adults that you are supposed to be.

SMOKING NO PROBLEM

I would urge the health department to firstly solve the HIV &  AIDS crisis and then TB and also the entire facelift of the govt hospitals.We buy the smokes with our monies and we get taxed for that.Remember that Zimbabwe stated with this stupid laws that are not taking us anywhere.So the health minister must get to know how people enjoy.Better stop unnecessary law and go and fix the potholes and the major robots in the cities which are not working.

The act

The act itself says nothing at all about "  covered patios, verandas, balconies, walkways, parking areas." 

It prohibits smoking in a " public place"  which the act defines as " any indoor, enclosed or partially enclosed area which is open to the public, and includes a workplace and a public conveyance" 

There is also nothing in the amendment preventing a person in charge of a " public place"  such as a restaurant, from designating any of the above as a smoking area.

Mmmmm....

Ok, so I'm a non-smoker... been for over 2 years, and although I believe smokers should have respect for non-smokers as they choose not to smoke... and also non-smokers to have respect for smokers (it's our free will after all).. but want I DON'T get is that they never look at the law of alcohol or the crime rate in the country which is causing MANY more deaths DAILY than cigarettes ever will.
So, you can kill, rape, get drunk and kill but don't smoke guys!!

Toys Cigarettes vs Toy guns

I quote " Sweets and toys that look like tobacco products are banned. Those sugar cigarettes in cute just-like-the-grownups packaging that many of us played with as kids are a rapidly fading memory. Children learn by example. "  But to have toy guns is okay .... murder vs second hand smoke ... you choose

eat me

lets see you try stop smokers in on balconies. Take a good hard look at the motherf*cking smoke.

Smoking

Please stop smoking , so that you can be raped and hijacked in good health.

Tenants forced to enforce law?

The management of the local family flee market are threatening to fine the stall tenant R50000 if a customer is found smoking in uncovered area outside a stall. Stall tenants are expected to harass customers and force them not to smoke in an open area. Who's gonna foot the bill if a tenant is attacked by an irrate smoker? Are tenants expected to uphold law even if they're not members of any force? What to do if a tenant is fined because a customer is found smoking in front of his stall?

smoking laws.

When the Government does something about violent crime in this country, then I will reconsider my smoking habits. I am healthy and cost my medical aid very little (if anything) every year. Currently the odds of me being raped, murdered, hijacked or hit by a stray bullet (or taxi) far outweigh me dying of lung cancer. Stop wasting time drawing up irrelevant bills, get up off your butts and deal with some real issues for a change, like crime! -

Support smoking ban

Look, I am a smoker but I would support a total smoking ban. It will do a lot of good. We can all then be healthier (albeit a little forced by law) and we could then hike the VAT up to 22% to make up for the revenue loss on tabacco products that means everybody pays and not just a few of us to support all the bling. The more people pay for stuff they don't get, the quicker they will want to stop paying for it. All in all a good thing.

smoking or not

If they are now saying that people who smoke and those who don't are sufferig from the same problems then maybe the problem is not with the smoking at all. how much other polutants are in the air that is causing these problems. Is it really smoking or second-hand smoke or is it something else alltogether???

Ban Cellphones

Well Cellphones also microwave your brain and those around you I would guess, why not ban cellphones, it might be the biggest killer from after effects in the years to come?

smoking laws

where do you report smoking in the workplace to? i am a non-smoker sharing offices with smokers who smoke all day long!!!

Braai

Next time I catch any of you non-smokers having a braai and making smoke I will personally make you go inside, and out of harms way...shame!! You poor defenseless coughing idiots.

non-smokers

we as non-smokers have full control over drinking, rape and crime that we could commit BUT we have no control over second hand smoke - give us a break !!!!

smoking laws

Crime is fine, but PLEASE DONT SMOKE!!!!!

foccus on crimanals first

I was in south africa recently and could not help but observe that there were more than 5 hijackings a day in Kzn and yet the police and other authorities seemed more foccused on smoking laws! Get the hard criminals then go for the soft targets. Where were the police when that lady was thrown off a bridge and car stolen. Probably undercover in a bar looking for smokers.

Report brakers of law

I would like to know where I can report restaurants that does not comply to these laws?

Risks to passive smokers

People exposed to second-hand smoke are at increased risk for the same health problems smokers are - heart disease, lung cancer etc. However smokers' risk is even higher. There are very few things medical science is as sure about as the disastrous health impact of smoking.

Smoking in the workplace

It's illegal to allow smoking in the workplace outside of a designated smoking area, no question on this issue. Report it to your local branch of the Dept of Health and/or Dept of Labour.

Reporting restaurants

Again, report them to the Dept of Health, and ask to get a follow-up once they've actually sent an inspector to check the premises! Complaining yourself then and there to the manager is also helpful.

Braai

All you tossers can go screw yourselves, do you dumbasses braai?

Smoking

Viva no smoking VIIIIVVVVAAA!!!!
And all the smokers that are swearing. Ag shame. We understand that you are going through withdrawal systems and it does make you feel a little grumpy. Hang in. You will get over it.

The easy way

I smoked for many years, tried stopping unsuccessfully a number of times and then tried the Allen carr easyway..best move ever. To all the smokers ranting and raving I dare you to try it as you have absolutely nothing to lose, they have a money back gaurantee if you DON'T stop smoking - what could be easier!

OMW

maar my goeie **** .....iemand light tog net a stop....

Any news on dubie?

Anything on dubie?

Wrong target

The sooner government start imposing laws on alcohol and its abuse the better. I am a non smoker and it has never bothered me being around smokers. The biggest social problem in this country being alcohol abuse supported by goverment by relaxing by-laws and laws in the trade thereof.

get up and do something wipe out the wine farmers as you are currently doing with the tobacco laws.

YAY!

Hooray! sounds like excellent progress! In Canada you can't smoke within 9 feet/metres (i can't remember) of the entrance to a building and you can't smoke in any indoor space, bar, pub, restaurant or even nightclub! It has made my going out experiences SO much better. No more husky voice and sore throat the morning after.

Braai?!

As for the comment about braais. The issue is not about smoke inhalation (althoug I'd confidently say braai smoke is somehow far less invasive than cigarette smoke). The issue it freedom of choice. If i don't choose to smoke, why should I be forced to inhale your cigarette smoke. Whether or not I choose to braai is a different story. But at least, if you choose not to braai, you don't have to be forced to inhale other people's braai smoke directly.

yippeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SORRY SMOKERS. I HAVE NO SYMPHATY FOR YOU. YOU CAN FREEZE YOUR DICKS OFF OUTSIDE.

Tax

How's this - does ANYONE know of an individual (not establishment) that has been " busted"  for smoking? these laws will never be actively enforced on the public as our dear government will loose to much tax money if everyone stopped smoking...

Alcohol

What about drinking ? The governments have taken on the tobacco industry but what about the Alcohol Industy ? They create more damage then the tobacco industry.

Hate smokers

I use to have some sympathy for smokers (shame, they are killing themselves), but not after reading these comments. How can you even consider smoking in you car with a kid in it. I use to be a 2 pack a day smoker, and I didn't need a law to tell me not to smoke around kids. That is just common sense, but I guess too many brain cells have been destroyed with these people to have any common sense left.

Linz, you're a TOTAL idiot!

Guns don't kill people - people kill people. Smoking cigarettes, on the other hand, DOES kill people. Ask any doctor. For the record, the ANC has admitted several times, in parliament, that licensed gun-owners (and that does NOT include the police or army personnel) are the most law-abiding sector of society - responsible for less than 0,01% of crime. So why bring guns into the argument, when smoking is a self-inflicted drug-addiction that kills, albeit slowly? You're a troll.

time - up

Sorry smokers, time's up, you have had your freedom at our expense for too long. Bring on the day where I can sit ouside at a coffee shop on a great day and not be smoked out. Next, no smoking in flat complex's, we are gatvol of having to close our windows when the twit next door smokes. To those who's only comment is to swear.... get a life and a vocab...

Non smoker - set free at last

well said .... i agree totally and support you - smokers are selfish, smelly creatures that should not be allowed to destroy or pollute our air.... get a life you creatures and dont destroy ours

bust them

thx for the article but not enough detail. what is the " no smoking"  distance from an entrance or open window? all the restaurants in camps bay have folding doors which open fully onto the sidewalk, with tables designated for smoking. these tables are within one meter of the openings, and may be covered by retracting awnings. what is the correct ruling in this scenario? is there a tel # to report violators?

SO..... MORE UNEMPLOYMENT THEN!!!

Yes, I am a smoker, but that is besides the point because all everyone seems to worry about is how my smoke will effect their lungs - seriously, I smoke one of the weakest sigarettes on the market - its almost not even bad for me, how the hell is it going to be bad for a non smoker....LOL!!! Nevermind that, everyone seems to forget how many people are employed because of smoking - LOOK AT THE BIGGER PICTURE - IF YOU DARE!

tobacco

Smokers are nothing more than common drug addicts. U are no better than all the tik and heroin addicts out there.
There should be a total ban on tobacco and alcohol

@johan

The distance from entrances hasn't been decided yet, but at least a few metres. 9 metres is currently considered a resaonable distance.

Distance

It should be 9 kilometres as far as I am concerned.

SMOKING and TAXES

A few things come to mind. Face it, Manto screwed up many things big time, there is no arguing that. I wonder what her motivation was for the start of this NAZI-type smoking laws? I very much doubt sincerity and health concern. I bet you some money changed hands. Just look at the state of heath care she left behind. Another thing, every new National budget increases taxes on smoking. So if you are taxed you have certain rights, right? Where do we draw the line? Where do our freedoms and the Constitution come into play? The Government seems to want it all and both ways all the time. Smokers are a soft target for many reasons. I know it is bad and a filthy habit, so what I like being filthy and bad. It is my right to be. Now get lost and go play in the traffic. Some nice fumes right there.

@Filthy and Bad (!)

Manto was keen on tobacco law, but it wasn't her idea. Stricter anti-smoking laws are a global trend, based on ever-growing evidence that smoking is a public health crisis for smokers and all in their immediate vicinity (and 'immediate' is further than we thought). A free society isn't about doing what you want and to hell with everyone else. Not being able to smoke anywhere you want is a bit constraining, but it doesn't compare to being unable to breathe freely and safely wherever you want.

If smoking is so bad for ones health....

Then why are companies still allowed to produce tabacco products...It seems a bit two-faced....ban smoking here there and everywhere...but allow the production to continue...purely for the revenu it bring in for the state..so until they declare tabacco products as illegal and stop the manufacturing of them I will continue to smoke....

Come on.....

I'm a non-smoker. But I have to agree with the people who comment that said that there are more serious issues at hand here! We were given free will, this is just another way of making people do things that they can't ban altogether. while we're at it - let's ban all fat, fast food restaurants, chocolate, coffee and everything else that's bad for your health and have ministers and politicians arrested for rape, murder and drunk driving. FANTASTIC ROLE-MODELS YOU ARE!!!!!!!!

Adding to that.....

You can't assume that all smokers are inconsiderate. My fiance does not smoke near me (I'm allergic) or in our house, nor does he smoke near children. He will actually ask a person smoking near a child to move. He also encourages his family not to smoke in a hall or room where people are. all of my friends who are smokers do the same. It's like penalizing an overweight person for eating!!

your missing the point

at least they are doing something about one of the huge problems in society... once they have this done, maybe they can look at the next issue and ban alcohol as most of you would demand it...

Banning will NEVER happen...

For as long as what the government can literally steal taxes from any industry (yes, STEAL - the original intent of taxation was to provide taxpayers with protection from marauding forces and from crime - and that's just not happening), the government will allow that industry to continue operating. Tobacco brings in HUGE money - it won't be banned. Alcohol brings in HUGE money - it won't be banned. And the only reason hard drugs ARE banned is because the government can't tax the kingpins. Q.E.D.

Hey, what is that?

Yeh, I be smoker, and smoking is -|- tup. Just this question: That there 18yr restriction - why is it not increasing by one year every year?