Parliament’s Select Committee on Human Resources and Social Development has rejected proposals from the Ministry of Health to ban the smoking of tobacco products in public places.

The committee said that it held extensive discussions on the proposal, but some members felt that it would be impossible to enforce the ban, particularly at large entertainment events, and decided against supporting it.

The committee has also rejected a proposal from the ministry to license retailers and for permits to be granted to sidewalk vendors who are responsible for approximately 70 per cent of the total sales volume. The committee felt that the proposal would be difficult to enforce and would also lead to a growth in the black market for tobacco products.

In terms of the ban on the sale and distribution of tobacco products in all health facilities, including pharmacies, government buildings and properties and those operated by statutory bodies, the committee said that whereas there could be a ban on the sale and distribution of tobacco products in public pharmacies, such measures should not be enforced with respect to private pharmacies.

“Those members of the committee who supported this argument felt that private pharmacies should have the freedom to sell the products of their choice and that implementing this measure would contradict the decision taken by the committee that retailers should not be licensed, given that a pharmacy is a retailer,” the committee said.

On the issue of advertising, the committee said it had been informed that Carreras had supported and complied with the ban on advertising in the media and in cinemas, in effect since the 1970s, and although the company lobbied to be allowed to continue to advertise with billboards and via entertainment events targeted specifically at adults, the committee supported a proposed ban on the advertising of tobacco products with respect to all forms of advertising.

The committee also supported the view that legislation should be put in place to enforce a ban on the sale of tobacco products to minors. They said they recognised that tobacco products, particularly cigarettes, were addictive, due to the nicotine content, and therefore, minors should not be able to access these products.

The committee was chaired by Dr Donald Rhodd. Secretary was Miss Rosemarie Douglas.