National standards in the works for vaping and vaping products

Currently in South Africa and the African region, there are no guidelines or regulations for vaping products, the TC will review existing regional/international standards, guidelines, research, policies and other documents to develop voluntary national standards for South Africa.

The SABS TC 2112 will be responsible for the setting of guidelines and promoting standardisation in the field of vaping products, covering electronic vaping products and their components, requirements for prefilled cartridges and reservoirs, terminology, sampling, methods of test and analysis, product specifications, safety, quality management and requirements for packaging, storage and transportation.

“Vaping and vaping products are increasingly popular in South Africa both in terms of recreational use and in economic activity. It is estimated that about 350,000 people use vaping products and that sales in 2019 amounted to R1.25bn. As the industry grows, there is a need to establish national standards that guide the quality of the products and provide consumers with some assurance that the electronic devices and products used in vaping are safe to use,” explains Jodi Scholtz, lead administrator at the SABS.

Non-tobacco products

The SABS TC 2112 will only focus on non-tobacco products, as tobacco is currently regulated in South Africa through the Tobacco Products Control Act 83 of 1993. Currently, the Department of Health has a draft bill on the control of Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems that is undergoing public enquiry. "The SABS TC 2112 will focus on vaping products and take into account the inclusions of the draft bill, with the knowledge that standards are voluntary in nature. Vaping is the use of an inhalation device that vaporise liquid solutions which may contain nicotine and other ingredients," SABS said.