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Picture: 123RF/RATTANAKUN THONGBUN
Picture: 123RF/RATTANAKUN THONGBUN

This story was produced by the Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism. Sign up for the newsletter.

  • Ex-smoker Kurt Yeo thinks e-cigarettes have saved his life and are an effective way to quit traditional tobacco.

  • Lung doctors disagree and say while vapes are possibly less harmful than cigarettes, they’re not harmless. 

  • Around one in four South African university students use e-cigarettes — public health experts say marketing specifically targets young people. 

  • Anti-smoking activists hope South Africa’s tobacco bill, which says e-cigarettes and traditional cigarettes should be regulated in the same way, will be passed by parliament this year.

  • This Health Beat episode shows why some young people view vapes as luxury items and are attracted by advertising gimmicks.

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