IRRATIONAL BAN ON CIGARETTES

Our president’s announcement that we will be moving to alert level 3 in June was welcome, but still contained the irrational ban on tobacco products. I am not a smoker, but I live with one and I fully understand how going without a smoke after years of enjoying it can cause serious withdrawal symptoms and drive a law-abiding citizen into the heinous “crime” of buying illegal smokes at ridiculous prices from black marketeers. Our revered minister of health cites, rightly, that the custom of passing around a cigarette among certain workers at smoke breaks risks the rapid spreading of the virus among the workers. True. But minister, if we can be trained to wash our hands frequently, to socially distance and to wear masks, surely we can be trained not to pass around the zol? Why penalise all smokers and not those who act irresponsibly? Oh, thanks for allowing me to have a glass of wine with my meal from June 1. I shall raise it to you, minister, when you lift this illogical ban on tobacco.

Trevor Moore

Can someone, especially Justice Malala, who seems to have his finger on the pulse, explain why no other country in the world has banned alcohol and cigarettes [for so long] due to this Covid-19 pandemic except SA? It just does not make sense — something is amiss somewhere.

Valerie

There are only four countries in the world besides SA that have banned alcohol during lockdown. The WHO has stated that there is no link between smoking and the virus. Where do our ministers get their facts from? Thumb-sucking!

Walter