From New Era.
Smoking control measures toughened - New Era
November 23, 2011
Words such as “mild” or “light” will never appear on cigarette boxes or any other tobacco products sold in Namibia if restrictions in the Tobacco Products Control Act of 2010 go into force unchanged.
This comes as the Ministry of Health and Social Services says it noted an increase in the number of young smokers, most of them women.
Figures provided by the ministry in mid-2010 singled out the Hardap Region where more women smoke than the average percentage globally.
The ministry is scared that the number of young smokers could increase as tobacco companies capitalise on marketing opportunities that become available to entice new smokers. Dr Richard Kamwi, the Minister of Health and Social Services, seeks to add restrictions to a part of the section in the Act. These were gazetted last week and interested members of the public have 30 days to make submissions to the ministry.
The Act also prohibits sponsorship of any Namibian event, however charitable, by tobacco companies or distributors of tobacco products.
According to the proposed regulations, the display of wordings mild, low tar or light on cigarettes creates the impression to consumer that such a specific tobacco product is less harmful than others.
In addition the Act mandates the establishment of a fund from levies on sales of tobacco and other sources.
The fund would partly use the money to pay for treatment of tobacco-related illnesses.
The world’s biggest and the Namibian market leader in tobacco products, British American Tobacco (BAT), is already fighting the proposed restrictions and is threatening to take lawmakers to court unless changes are made. BAT says the restrictions would allow government to expropriate its trademark properties while robbing the company to freely communicate to consumers the nature of the lawful products on offer.
The health ministry earlier said smoking among young people, especially women, is going up, hence the urgency to curb demand for tobacco in the country.
Two specific regions, Omaheke and Hardap, are said to have the highest average number of women smokers.
In Hardap, the average is 24 percent, which the health ministry says “tops the list of women smokers countrywide.”
Interestingly, that average percentage also exceeds the estimated number of women smokers worldwide, at 20 percent of the total number of smokers. In Omaheke, women smokers are estimated at five percent.
“The number could increase as the industry sees opportunities for business, especially among women and the youth,” the Ministry of Health and Social Services had earlier warned.
Once in force, the Tobacco Products Control Act No 1 of 2010 will black out marketing and promotion of tobacco products in the country, and restrict tobacco vending machines to controlled areas with an 18-year age limit.
A mandatory restriction on packaging methods is also being proposed and would include graphic pictures depicting the ill-health associated with smoking.
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