Heart Awareness Month: Reducing tobacco use

On Heart Awareness Month, the foundation is bringing to the fore the causes of CVD - including poor eating habits, lack of physical activity, smoking and excessive alcohol consumption.

Smoking reduces one's lifespan by 13 to 14 years - with a 25% risk for developing heart disease in women than in men.

The foundation's CEO, Professor Pamela Naidoo says 16,5% of South Africans are smokers.

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Naidoo explains how tobacco affects the normal functioning of the body. 

Naidoo says the country's draft tobacco bill, which may in future prohibit smoking in select public areas and change regulations pertaining to tobacco advertising, is a move in the right direction. 

"We are seeing a different landscape now. We are seeing an increasing number of women who smoke, and younger people starting to smoke at an earlier age. To start at an earlier age - the chances of becoming addicted to tobacco smoking, increases. The regulations have definitely helped. We are all supporting the Bill that the Minister has put forward. With vaping, we've also seen a decline in the prevalence of smoking. But we still should be aiming for a far lower prevalence," Naidoo said.

You can find more details of the foundation's Heart Awareness Month campaign on all social platforms.