Legislation is an essential component of any effective anti-smoking programme, and is being used increasingly in many countries. Legislative measures may control or ban tobacco advertising, require that cigarette packets carry a health warning and contents statement, limit the tar and nicotine content of cigarettes, restrict sales, impose taxes on tobacco products, restrict smoking in public places and workplaces, make health education mandatory or provide for the establishment of a national anti-smoking agency. A major objective is to establish non-smoking as the norm. We recommend that the government of South Africa introduces a comprehensive anti-smoking programme that will include the following steps: (i) putting extra taxes on cigarettes to fund health education, (ii) prohibiting the sale of cigarettes to minors, (iii) making health warnings and contents labelling on both cigarette packets and advertisements prominent, and (iv) encouraging public and private sector involvement in protecting non-smokers' rights and helping smokers to stop smoking.