Researchers based at the University of Cape Town (UCT) have been probing the implications of the high smoking rates in Ravensmead and Uitsig communities.

The Lung Health Survey, a collaborate study done by the UCT Lung Institute, Stellenbosch University and the City of Cape Town in 2002, found that the Ravensmead and Uitsig communities have among the highest smoking rates in a developing world - 59% among men and 43% among women. They also have one of the highest TB rates in the world.

These exceptionally high smoking habits are providing new clues to the current widespread disease pandemics such as chronic bronchitis, emphysema and TB.