Bill bans public smoking

THE Tobacco Products Control Bill tabled by Health Minister Richard Kamwi in Parliament bans ‘the smoking of tobacco in a public place, any outdoor public place or any area within a certain distance of a window, ventilation inlet, door or entrance’.

This means that a hotel, restaurant or coffee shop would also fall under the definition of ‘pubic place’, although the Bill does not mention these details.As usual, regulations will be drawn up once the Bill is passed, and then public spaces will be more clearly defined.Introducing the Bill yesterday afternoon, Minister Kamwi told the House that a 2004 study undertaken in Namibia, showed that 17 per cent of school children between the ages of 10 and 12 had admitted they had a smoking experience.’This harmful behaviour is practiced by far too many children too early in their lives and damages to their health will only become evident many years after they started smoking.’Municipalities will have to appoint inspectors to monitor and enforce compliance with the law once it comes into force.The new law will impose a hefty fine of N$200 000 for advertising or branding tobacco products. No manufacturer, importer or distributor of tobacco products may organise activities to promote a tobacco product or make a financial contribution to organised activities promoting smoking. No person may sell any tobacco product to a person under the age of 18 years.Minister Kamwi said that non-smokers who were exposed to smoking people around them also suffered. The Tobacco Bill is Namibia’s step to become compliant with the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) of the World Health Organisation of 2003. Namibia ratified it in 2005 and one of the obligations for each signatory country was to develop its own policies and legislation to be in conformity with the FCTC.’The Bill should not be delayed any longer,’ Kamwi said.The draft law provides for a tobacco product control committee which will advise the Health Ministry on matters relating to tobacco producers and efforts to reduce smoking. A tobacco products control fund will also be set up. Its money will be used to implement programmes to reduce smoking and to ‘contribute to the treatment of tobacco-related illnesses and diseases.brigitte@namibian.com.na