#NoPuffinginLockdown: Locals express their angst over smoking restriction

The ban on the sale of cigarette and tobacco products has sent chills down some Boksburg residents’ spines, causing uncertainty about when they’ll ever have a puff again.
Some have resorted to paying double the price for cigarettes through the black market. This comes after the government’s decision to continue prohibiting the ban of cigarette sales under level four of the lockdown.

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The ban was first instituted on March 26 when the lockdown commenced, along with a ban on the sale of alcohol. On April 29, cooperative governance and traditional affairs minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, announce the continuation of the ban, citing health concerns among those who share cigarette and tobacco products as the reason to reverse President Cyril Ramaphosa’s lifting of the ban on the sale of cigarettes a few days prior.
The Advertiser spoke to some Boksburg smokers who explained what effects the ban is having on them. Robert Lewis (63), who has been smoking for the past 45 years, said: “I feel it’s unfair because we are now used to this habit of smoking but because of health reasons we have made peace. Since the ban on cigarettes I try to keep myself busy so that I can forget that I haven’t smoked.”

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Lewis said in April he saved R300 by not buying cigarettes. Another smoker, Inna van Westhuizen (60), said for the past five weeks it’s been hard for her to cope without smoking.
“My temperature has gone up and I have had to deal with chest pains and coughing.
“I wish the government will lift the ban so that we can smoke in peace,” van Westhuizen said.
A 26-year-old man from Ramaphosa informal settlement, who wished to remain anonymous, said he has resorted to buying cigarettes illegally because he can’t cope with not smoking.

Previously, he would buy a loose cigarette for R2 and now one cigarette costs him R5 and is not good quality. He used to pay R50 for a packet of cigarettes and is now forking out R100.

“For a few days after the ban I tried living without a cigarette, but I couldn’t because I would constantly have headaches and I didn’t have an appetite,” the resident said.
Meanwhile, British American Tobacco South Africa (BATSA) announced on May 6 that it will no longer pursue legal action in an attempt to force the state to permit the sale of cigarettes.
This comes after they threatened to bring an urgent application to court upon the government’s failure to respond to their demands.
BATSA said it has taken a decision not to pursue legal action at this stage but, instead, to pursue further discussions with government on the formulation and application of the regulations under the lockdown.
“We are convinced that by working together we can find a better solution that works for all South Africans and removes the threat of criminal sanction from 11 million tobacco consumers in the country,” a media statement read.
BATSA further stated that the significant rise of tobacco during the lockdown continues to be of great concern and threatens the livelihood of many who depend on legitimate businesses to sustain themselves.
“While BATSA supports the government in its mission to prevent the further spread of the virus, we believe it is vital that there is a renewed and stronger effort under level four to permanently close down illegal supply lines of tobacco that have been established over the past number of weeks.”
On May 4, Ekurhuleni mayor Mzwandile Masina started a petition in support of the government’s decision to uphold the ban on cigarette sales.