Kurt Yeo is the co-founder of Vaping Saved My Life (VSML), a South African consumer group, which among other things shares information about tobacco harm reduction and platforms testimonials from people whose lives THR has transformed.
Yeo is in that number. His father’s death to smoking-related illness—sadly, that would not be the last such tragedy in his life—spurred his own journey of switching from cigarettes to vapes. Amazed by a product that rapidly helped him quit his 40-a-day habit when other methods hadn’t worked for him, Yeo left his career in information systems to start a vape business.
As a way to combat the misinformation he continually encountered—emanating from the South African government, among other entities—he then set up VSML.
No longer in the vape business, Yeo now devotes himself to full-time advocacy, seeking to demystify tobacco harm reduction, educate the public and promote smoking cessation.
Filter reached out to Kurt Yeo to ask about his personal journey, his advocacy and the political climate around tobacco harm reduction in South Africa. Our interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Kiran Sidhu: Can you tell me about your journey into tobacco harm reduction?
Kurt Yeo: The death of my father the day before our planned wedding was the catalyst for me wanting to quit smoking. Unfortunately, it took 10 years, with multiple failed attempts, before I managed to do so—with a flavored nicotine vape. A chance meeting, now 11 years ago, helped me quit smoking for good within three days.
This led me to do more research, as I needed to know where to source more products in South Africa. Based on their curiosity and willingness to quit smoking, some colleagues in my office asked if I could help source [vape] kits for them, which quickly became a small community within our office park.
Recognizing the impact this product had on individuals, and that the vape market was in its infancy in South Africa, I left my corporate job to start a small vape shop. This wasn’t my best move, but it did expose me to the world of duality whereby everybody wanted to see the end of smoking but objected to any means other than the officially endorsed methods. At the center of all this were the very people who needed help, people who smoked and, like me, were unwilling or unable to quit.
“During my transition from a person who smokes to a full-time THR advocate, I have lost my mother, grandfather and several family members and friends to smoking-related diseases.”
By June 2017, with the ongoing misinformation surrounding “popcorn lung” and its correlation to vaping, a fellow vape shop owner and I decided to do something about it. We started a Facebook page, Vaping Saved My Life, where we invited former smokers who are now vapers to upload their testimonials. With the popularity of the page, which now included articles and research, I decided to close my store in January 2019 and focus all my attention on THR advocacy.
During my transition from a person who smokes to a full-time THR advocate, I have lost my mother, grandfather and several family members and friends to smoking-related diseases. The loss of my loved ones, the impact it has had on me and my family, as well as the ongoing disinformation campaign aimed at THR, have only strengthened my resolve. People who smoke and now people who have chosen safer alternatives are seen as second-class citizens, “addicts” undeserving of empathy, let alone a seat at the table to share their experiences.
KS: What’s the political situation around vapes and safer nicotine products in South Africa?
KY: With the release of the Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill in 2018, it became very clear that the South African Department of Health and, by extension, the entire government, do not see any material difference between the non-pharmaceutical nicotine delivery systems. Any nicotine products outside of the approved nicotine replacement products are classified as “tobacco.”
This was evident in the five-and-a-half month 2020 sales ban in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and now in the excise tax on e-liquids. However, since the [2024] implementation of the Government of National Unity (GNU) after the African National Congress lost its majority, the curiosity around THR and safer nicotine products has taken root. Previous opposition parties who are now part of the GNU have called for more enquiries and discussions around safer alternatives and their possible role in dealing with growing smoking rates.
As seen in many developing countries across the globe, the overreliance on the dictates of the World Health Organization and the influence of foreign-funded anti-THR NGOs has made it difficult to be heard. If you consider the contents of the Bill and the narrative shared by members of the Department of Health and their fellow travellers, these foreign entities have had a significant influence on the process.
KS: Does South Africa have a prominent vape advocacy movement?
KY: South Africa does have a very active industry association, the Vapour Products Association of South Africa (VPASA). In the absence of legislation and regulations, the VPASA has spearheaded and promoted self-regulation. [Through] programs ranging from restricting the youth to responsible marketing and waste management, the VPASA has encouraged its members and the local industry as a whole to do the right things.
The only consumer vape advocacy movement in South Africa that I am aware of is Vaping Saved My Life.
“With HIV, pure abstinence with little-to-no support was quickly established as a failed approach.”
KS: What’s it been like running Vaping Saved My Life?
KY: As mentioned earlier, VSML started as a simple testimonial page on Facebook. Unfortunately, towards the end of 2019, Facebook deleted most of our posts, including testimonials, which forced VSML to move its content onto the VSML website. Since then, VSML became one of the first members of the World Vapers Alliance, started various online petitions, participated in written and oral submissions on the Bill, conducted several vaping surveys, and engaged with the media.
What drives the movement is the knowledge that South Africa has not seen a reduction in smoking rates but an increase over the last decade. That too many South Africans are misinformed, especially those who smoke, on the alternatives. Much like the fight against the HIV/AIDs epidemic, a different, more pragmatic approach to this public health crisis is needed. Pure abstinence with little-to-no support was quickly established as a failed approach when dealing with the deadly virus that was spreading rapidly. The introduction of education programs, free condoms and pre-exposure prophylaxis, as well as anti-retroviral medications, have all been instrumental in dealing with HIV/AIDs in the country.
South Africa is no stranger to harm reduction. The mission of VSML is to remind the government, health authorities and all stakeholders of this fact and to pivot from a now-failed conservative, narrow-minded approach.
Yeo hosting the VSML podcast, which launched in 2024.
KS: In a past interview you said that in South Africa, “giving up smoking is essentially a luxury activity.” Can you please explain this?
KY: It is estimated that nearly a third of the South African public over 15 smoke currently, approximately 11 million individuals. It is also well documented that most people who smoke are marginalized and typically found in lower-income groups. It is also known that South Africa is the most unequal society in the world, where the majority of the population finds themselves living near or below the poverty line.
South Africa has not fully implemented Article 14 of [the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control]. This article centers around the support for people who smoke and methods to assist in smoking cessation.
“For the majority of people who smoke in South Africa, smoking cessation aids/pharmaceuticals are simply unaffordable, leaving the most ineffective ‘cold turkey’ method.”
South Africa has approved NRT and some pharmaceuticals aimed at smoking cessation. Unfortunately, none are subsidized or available for free in the public health service, which the majority of people who smoke rely on. These smoking cessation aids are costly and out of reach for many South Africans. There is no smoking cessation support in our primary or secondary public health facilities, and to the best of my knowledge, only one smoking cessation clinic in the republic, in Cape Town. This clinic operates on referral only and is severely limited in the number of patients it can see at a time.
Given this, for the majority of people who smoke in South Africa, professional support and smoking cessation aids/pharmaceuticals are simply unaffordable, leaving the most ineffective “cold turkey” method the only option.
KS: Regarding South Africa’s recent budget speech, can you tell me about the impacts on tobacco and vapes?
KY: According to the published excise table, [tax on] tobacco products (including heated tobacco sticks) will increase by 4.75 percent, to 6.75 percent. A box of 20 cigarettes will now carry a R22.81 ($1.23) excise, excluding value-added tax. As seen since 2009, this increase will see the legitimate tobacco market reduce in market share as more consumers are forced to engage with the illicit market.
Vape e-liquids will see a 4.75 percent tax increase, the second increase since the excise was implemented in June 2023. This excise was sold on the basis that it would dissuade nicotine-naïve people, especially the youth, from initiating. I doubt we will see any significant consumption changes in this cohort, as these adolescents typically come from higher-income families. It will, however, discourage poorer adults who smoke from making the switch.
As the excise only applies to finished products, many local e-liquid manufacturers were forced to pivot to a “long-fill” solution. Consumers who enjoy locally produced e-liquids for refillable devices now purchase their products in parts and mix the contents. Although this escapes the devastating impact the excise would have on locally produced e-liquids, it does increase the price due to the need for additional packaging. This [also] adds environmental strain given the additional plastic bottles, not to mention the possible risks involved in consumers mixing their own e-liquids. [At publication time, the South African budget has still not been approved and is facing court challenges; a new version is expected soon.]
“Most cigarettes sold in the informal trade are individual sticks. I believe vaping will only do so much, given its price point, but the nicotine pouch could be the real THR solution for the majority.”
KS: I understand that 60 percent of cigarettes in South Africa are sold illicitly. What difficulties does this pose for THR?
KY: One of the most relied-on methods to dissuade initiation and encourage smoking cessation is the cost of the product to the consumer. It is not only that South Africa has a thriving illicit cigarette trade, but how cheap these products have become. The lowest price for a pack of 20 cigarettes I have seen is R12.50 ($0.65). Compare this to the cheapest disposable vape, currently R90.00 ($4.80). It is not hard to understand that a move to vaping is simply a bridge too wide to cross for many people who smoke purely based on a price point. This further strengthens my argument that quitting is a luxury in South Africa.
It also needs to be noted that South Africa is a stick market, meaning that the majority of the cigarettes sold in the informal trade are individual sticks. I believe that vaping will only do so much, given its price point, but the nicotine pouch could be the real THR solution for the majority of South African smokers. An accelerated move into nicotine pouches sold in packs with smaller quantities, even individually wrapped, could see this market move to safer alternatives rapidly. For this shift to occur, the government, health authorities and the community must acknowledge that these alternatives are safer and are part of the solution.
KS: You’re currently running a survey of people who vape. What’s its purpose?
KY: I have never been satisfied with how research has been conducted in South Africa concerning smoking and now vaping. Coming from a background in information systems, the devil lies in the details, which can only be teased out with more questions. Vaping is a complex topic based on my own experiences and those of many individuals I have engaged with, and it needs to be captured and analyzed. Smoking history and quit attempts only capture a small part of the experience. Matters concerning flavor preferences, nicotine strength, device choices and opinions provide a richer dataset that gives very interesting trends compared to previous surveys.
A great example, based on the 2022 vapers survey, is that 38 percent of vapers who responded reported that their preferred nicotine strength in mg had decreased over time. It was also noted that 46 percent of the responding vapers had not changed their nicotine strength since they started vaping. The truly interesting stat is that for most of these vapers, the 3mg range is where they gravitate over time. Weirdly, this preferred strength is similar to that of off-the-shelf approved NRT in the form of gums and lozenges available in South Africa.
Policymakers and health authorities are ignorant of these details that, if accepted, could prove valuable in forming appropriate regulations and advice. The intention is to share these findings with the hope that they at least prick their curiosity to look deeper.
Top photograph by Vaping Saved My Life via Instagram. Inset photograph courtesy of Kurt Yeo.
Kurt Yeo is a recipient of a tobacco harm reduction scholarship from Knowledge-Action-Change. KAC has also provided grants and donations to The Influence Foundation, which operates Filter. Filter‘s Editorial Independence Policy applies.
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