ActionSA Slams Health Department for Misleading South Africans on Vaping

ActionSA Slams Health Department for Misleading South Africans on Vaping

By Insight Jozi News | August 19, 2025



ActionSA has taken a firm stand against the Department of Health, accusing it of spreading misinformation about vaping. The party is outraged by radio adverts authorised by the Department which claim that “vaping is just as bad as smoking cigarettes.”

For ActionSA, this statement is false and misleading. The party’s Member of Parliament, Dr Kgosi Letlape, says the Department is deliberately spreading propaganda rather than facts.

“While vaping is not without risk, the available scientific evidence is clear that it is not equivalent to the harms of combustible cigarettes. By insisting otherwise, the Department is spreading propaganda rather than facts,” said Dr Letlape.

Undermining Parliament?

The controversy escalates further because the Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill is still before the Portfolio Committee on Health. By presenting contested provisions as if they are already law, ActionSA argues that the Department is misleading the public and disrespecting Parliament’s constitutional authority.

“South Africans are entitled to honest, evidence-based information, not fearmongering. Parliament is entitled to respect for its processes, not executive interference,” Dr Letlape added.

Formal Complaints Laid

In response, ActionSA has lodged two formal complaints:

  • Advertising Regulatory Board (ARB) – demanding the immediate withdrawal of the misleading adverts.
  • Speaker of the National Assembly – accusing the Department of Health of contempt of Parliament and executive overreach.

The Bigger Picture

This standoff goes beyond vaping. It raises urgent questions about how the government communicates with citizens, the integrity of parliamentary processes, and whether South Africans are being given truthful, science-based information or political propaganda.

What’s Next?

With ActionSA pressing hard, pressure is mounting on the Minister of Health to explain why the Department chose to run these adverts and whether it will be held accountable.

For now, South Africans are left asking: is government protecting public health, or pushing fear to control vaping?

Sources:

What do you think? Should the Department of Health withdraw the adverts, or is vaping truly just as harmful as smoking? Share your views below.

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