Smoking in South Africa

Tobacco smoking among South Africans in recent years,^[when?] has decreased largely due to the increase in the precaution of the dangers of smoking and enforcement of stricter legislation on the tobacco industry. In 1996, the provinces with the highest percentage and prevalence of smoking include Northern Cape (55%), Western Cape (48%) and North-West (46%).^[1] However, the number of smokers still remains stagnant. Despite the efforts to bring awareness to the risks that come with smoking, there is still a high prevalence of tobacco use in South Africa; and it is a major contributor to morbidity and mortality.^[2]