THE Health Ministry hopes to have legislation in place by the end of the year, that will seek to discourage the purchase and smoking of tobacco products in public spaces.

Last year the government said it would move to impose a total ban on cigarette advertising and on smoking in all state-owned buildings, following Cabinet's approval of Jamaica's ratification of the United Nations Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) in 2005. However, Dr Eva Lewis Fuller, acting permanent secretary in the Ministry of Health, told the Observer that the ministry experienced several setbacks in pushing the legislations forward.

"We have had to divert our attention somewhat to other matters such as malaria, but we are getting back on track with the tobacco legislation and we hope that by the end of the year we will have something," Dr Lewis Fuller said.
The objective of the FCTC is to protect present and future generations from the devastating health, social, environmental and economic consequences of tobacco consumption and exposure to tobacco smoke.

The FCTC requires all parties to undertake a comprehensive ban on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship within five years of ratifying the treaty. They are also required to put measures in place to protect non- smokers from tobacco smoke in public places, workplaces, public transport and indoor public places. It also stipulates that warning labels are required on each cigarette packet.

"Together with our partners the ministry has made some strides on the tobacco front. For example, the Ministry of Finance has supported us in our call for an increase in tobacco taxation," Dr Lewis Fuller said during the launch of two anti-smoking campaigns at St Andrew High School in Kingston Thursady, which was celebrated as World No Tobacco Day.

She said that the ministry also worked with various stakeholders to ensure that the labelling on the cigarettes here are in accordance with the FCTC standards. "Although we have made some progress, we recognise that there is much to be done," she said.

The Give it up national anti-smoking campaign, she added will target adults and adolescents, and will last for three years.

Meanwhile, Michael Tucker, executive director of the National Council on Drug Abuse, explained that its Smoke free for life campaign will seek to target children ages three to 11 and will among other things, seek to reduce the prevalence of tobacco use among adolescents as well as the first age of experimentation.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), tobacco is the second major cause of death in the world. It is currently responsible for the death of one in ten adults worldwide.
WHO also warns that if the current smoking patterns continue, it will cause some 10 million deaths each year by 2020.

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