Tobacco regulation in South Africa: Interest groups and public policy

Abstract

The article examines the role of interest groups in the adoption of comprehensive tobacco control policies in South
Africa. While various studies have noted that interest groups shape and influence public policies especially in
advanced industrialized polities, this study looks at the impact of tobacco control groups in regulating tobacco use
in a developing, middle-income country, South Africa. Using interviews of leading experts on tobacco control from
South Africa and tobacco control policy documents, the study finds that since the last decade or so, the lobbying
and campaigns of anti-tobacco interest groups have led to the adoption of more restrictive policies.