Namibia to clamp down on public smoking

THE days of smoking in public in Namibia are numbered.Parliament yesterday unanimously agreed that the exposure of non-smokers to second-hand smoke had to be stubbed out.

By ratifying the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on tobacco control, Namibia has set in motion the process of enacting its own legislation to outlaw certain tobacco-related practices. The convention came into force in February.Minister of Health and Social Services Richard Kamwi told the House that such legislation, to be known as the Tobacco Products Control Bill, had already been drafted and would be submitted to Cabinet for approval early in the new year.”Tobacco costs our region way too much, we cannot afford it.For this reason, our response needs to be strong and determined,” said Kamwi.The protocol demands that as a signatory, Namibia institute price and tax measures to reduce the demand for tobacco, as well as non-price measures such as protection from exposure to tobacco smoke, regulation of the contents of tobacco products, tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship, sales to and by minors.Kamwi said yesterday that Namibia’s legislation would definitely seek to ban the advertising, promotion and sponsorship of tobacco products.”We need to legislate to stop the tobacco industry addicting our people to a product that will cause their death in 50 per cent of the cases,” said Kamwi.The CoD’s Tsudao Gurirab, Nudo leader Kuaima Riruako and Swapo’s Reggie Diergaardt all voiced support for banning smoking in public places.Diergaardt also felt that the selling of cigarettes to minors, especially the sale of single cigarettes, had to be stopped.Kamwi said as the number of smokers decreased in developed countries, tobacco giants were now targeting developing countries.Namibia has two years from the date of accession to the protocol to come up with its own tobacco-control legislation.Deputy Minister of Justice Uutoni Nujoma expressed concern about what clamping down on the tobacco trade would do to Zimbabwe’s economy as a major tobacco producer.But Kamwi said it had to be done in the interest of mankind and that in fact Zimbabwe planned to lobby its Parliament to accede to the protocol.In 1999, the World Health Organisation was mandated to mobilise governments to put in place measures against the detrimental effects of tobacco through an international instrument.The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control was adopted by the World Health Assembly in Geneva in March 2003.Namibia was among the first African countries to sign the convention last year.By the end of August, 76 countries had become party to the Convention.The Conference of Parties will be held in February 2006 to oversee the implementation of the convention.The convention came into force in February.Minister of Health and Social Services Richard Kamwi told the House that such legislation, to be known as the Tobacco Products Control Bill, had already been drafted and would be submitted to Cabinet for approval early in the new year.”Tobacco costs our region way too much, we cannot afford it.For this reason, our response needs to be strong and determined,” said Kamwi.The protocol demands that as a signatory, Namibia institute price and tax measures to reduce the demand for tobacco, as well as non-price measures such as protection from exposure to tobacco smoke, regulation of the contents of tobacco products, tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship, sales to and by minors.Kamwi said yesterday that Namibia’s legislation would definitely seek to ban the advertising, promotion and sponsorship of tobacco products.”We need to legislate to stop the tobacco industry addicting our people to a product that will cause their death in 50 per cent of the cases,” said Kamwi.The CoD’s Tsudao Gurirab, Nudo leader Kuaima Riruako and Swapo’s Reggie Diergaardt all voiced support for banning smoking in public places.Diergaardt also felt that the selling of cigarettes to minors, especially the sale of single cigarettes, had to be stopped.Kamwi said as the number of smokers decreased in developed countries, tobacco giants were now targeting developing countries.Namibia has two years from the date of accession to the protocol to come up with its own tobacco-control legislation.Deputy Minister of Justice Uutoni Nujoma expressed concern about what clamping down on the tobacco trade would do to Zimbabwe’s economy as a major tobacco producer.But Kamwi said it had to be done in the interest of mankind and that in fact Zimbabwe planned to lobby its Parliament to accede to the protocol.In 1999, the World Health Organisation was mandated to mobilise governments to put in place measures against the detrimental effects of tobacco through an international instrument.The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control was adopted by the World Health Assembly in Geneva in March 2003.Namibia was among the first African countries to sign the convention last year.By the end of August, 76 countries had become party to the Convention.The Conference of Parties will be held in February 2006 to oversee the implementation of the convention.