CABINET has given the Ministry of Health the green light to table the
long-awaited Tobacco Products Control Bill in the National Assembly
soon.
Source: The Namibian via AllAfrica.com
Tobacco Control Law Coming Soon
The Namibian (Windhoek)
NEWS
31 October 2008
Posted to the web 31 October 2008
CABINET has given the Ministry of Health the green light to table the long-awaited Tobacco Products Control Bill in the National Assembly soon.
The Bill aims to make Namibia comply with the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), which requires parties to "adopt and implement effective legislative, executive, administrative and/or other measures for preventing and reducing tobacco consumption, nicotine addiction and exposure to tobacco smoke".
|
|
The FCTC was adopted by the World Health Assembly in May 2003 in Geneva, Switzerland.
It is an international instrument aimed at controlling and reducing tobacco use and its negative effects on health, the economy and the environment, according to a press release from Cabinet this week.
Namibia was among the first African countries to sign up to the Treaty in November 2005 and became one of the first members of the Conference of Parties to the Framework Convention on Tobacco after the Treaty was ratified by the National Assembly.
Wide consultations took place during the development of the Bill, including consultations with the Office of the Attorney General and other Government institutions, the Cancer Association of Namibia, the Hospitality Association of Namibia (HAN), British American Tobacco and other non-governmental organisations.
The Tobacco Products Control Bill is aimed at establishing a Tobacco Products Control Committee to advise the Minister on matters related to the use of tobacco products; to provide for the constitution, powers, duties and functions of the Committee; to provide for the reduction of demand for and supply of tobacco products; to provide for protection from exposure to tobacco smoke; to provide for the establishment of a fund for the control of tobacco products and to provide for related and incidental matters.
A survey by the Ministry of Health indicated that it is too easy for young people to buy single cigarettes in Namibia.
While a packet of cigarettes costs between N$20 and N$25, single cigarettes are sold by many vendors at a price of up to N$2,50 per cigarette, leading to profits of more than N$1,50 per cigarette.
The Ministry also found that it is mainly the youth who are targeted by tobacco advertising and once hooked and nicotine dependent, the youth will become "loyal smokers" for many years.
Comments