E-cig heated tobacco and combustible-alternatives sector data in Africa

7th February 2023: Egypt: The Tobacco Division of the Federation of Egyptian Industries is to hold a workshop with e-liquid importers in Cairo tomorrow to discuss strategies to combat illicit products, press reports.
2nd February 2023: Egypt: The Ministry of Health has tweeted against the use of e-cigarettes, arguing that contrary to what is commonly believed, they are not a safe alternative to standard cigarettes, and that they negatively affect digestive and respiratory systems and cause cardiovascular diseases. On a similar note, the president's health adviser, Mohamed Awad Tag-Eldin, has also stated that e-cigarettes are not safe and can cause pulmonary embolisms and affect the respiratory system, press reports.
30th January 2023: Egypt: Ashraf Hatem, chairman of the House of Representatives’ Health Committee, has argued that although novel nicotine products pose significant health risks, they are less harmful than regular cigarettes, and that curbing nicotine addiction can begin gradually by relying on e-cigarettes or heated tobacco to replace regular cigarettes, press reports.
25th January 2023: Egypt: In a televised interview, Ahmed Abdel-Maged, secretary of the Senate's Health Committee, said that e-cigarettes are as harmful as smoking. He said tobacco companies mislead the public by marketing them as healthy alternatives to smoking, while they are equally dangerous as the inhaled vapour contains nicotine, which is addictive. Earlier this week, a bill was submitted to the Senate’s Health Committee to expand usage restrictions on e-cigarettes and to ban vaping in universities and schools in order to curb their widespread use by youth.
23rd January 2023: Tunisia: E-cigarette importers and manufacturers have until 13th December to place a health warning on their products. Last year, the health ministry imposed health warnings covering 70% of the packaging, with an original deadline of 21st January 2023. Since 2014, e-cigarettes are treated as a tobacco product and subject to the monopoly of the National Administration of Tobacco and Matches.
20th January 2023: Egypt: A bill presented by representative Mohamed Emara – secretary of the Youth and Sports Committee – will be discussed by the Senate health committee on Sunday, 22nd January. Among the provisions of the bill are expanding usage restrictions on e-cigarettes and banning vaping in universities and schools in order to curb their widespread use by youth, press reports.
18th January 2023: South Africa: The National Treasury has put into effect the Taxation Laws Amendment Act, introducing a flat excise duty rate of ZAR2.90 ($0.17) per ml for both nicotine and non-nicotine vaping products. The tax will come into force on 1st June.
16th January 2023: Morocco: The Party of Progress and Socialism proposal to amend Law No. 15.91/1995 was referred to the Justice, Legislation and Human Rights Committee of the parliament for further discussion on Friday (13th January). The bill – which proposes the implementation of a ban on using tobacco in public areas and lays down restrictions on the marketing and advertising of all tobacco products – defines tobacco products as any product made entirely or partly from tobacco, including hookahs, heated tobacco, and electronic cigarettes.
9th January 2023: Morocco: Law No. 50.22/2023 regarding budget law for the year 2023 entered into force in January 2023, stipulating a tax increase on e-liquids of 40% of the retail sale price.
9th January 2023: Egypt: A member of the House of Representatives, Ghada Ali, requested a briefing from the Ministers of Health and Supply regarding the negligence of the Consumer Protection Agency in monitoring of the sale of vaping products and heated tobacco, which are sold without supervision to under-18s, affecting their mental and physical health, press reports. Moreover, she argued that vaping and smoking of any kind threatens the health of the Egyptian people, and called for stricter rules on monitoring the places that sell e-cigarettes and heated tobacco.
9th January 2023: Morocco: The Party of Progress and Socialism proposed to amend Law No. 15.91/1995 to include e-cigarettes and heated tobacco in the tobacco regime and to increase the sanctions on the public use and advertising of e-cigs and heated tobacco on TV, the internet, social media, the radio and in the press, and allocate the revenues of these fines for the benefit of scientific research in the field of health and treatment of tobacco addiction. Fines would range between MAD300 ($30) and MAD600 ($59) for those who violate the public usage ban.

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Morocco raises taxes on tobacco alternatives to finance new health bill

Market reports

South Africa: market snapshot, December 2022

Market report: global online e-cigarette traffic

Market report: South Africa – vape sales up as new law is still awaited

Market report: market expansion continues in South Africa

Snapshot: South Africa, July 2019

Regulatory reports

Morocco: e-cigarette regulation, January 2023

Global policy on novel nicotine products: analysis from our new Policy Radar

South Africa: e-cigarette regulation, June 2022

Egypt: e-cigarette regulation, July 2022

Regulatory report: Algeria, April 2021

Pricing snapshots

Online e-cig pricing: Egypt Q3 2022

Online e-cig pricing: South Africa Q3 2022

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Regulatory databases

ECigIntelligence compliance calendar

Global regulatory tracker: current regulation of e-cigs, January 2023

Tamarind Intelligence Policy Radar, November

Tamarind Intelligence Policy Radar trial version

International e-cigarette stakeholders database

Daily news alerts

Market profile databases

Key global e-cigarette markets database: January 2023

Infographics

Europe generates twice as much traffic to vape store websites as North America

Graphic: Stores/POS for Twisp in South Africa, July 2019

Graphic: E-cig users form factors, South Africa July 2019

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