Gov’t to get tough on tobacco products

Plans are well underway to get tough on tobacco products and to prohibit smoking in public places in Dominica.

This is according to the country’s Health Minister Julius Timothy.

Timothy, who was delivering a national address over the weekend to commemorate Dominica’s 5th Caribbean Wellness Day, said legislation will soon be drafted to address concerns related to smoking.

“As promised, we will draft legislation to raise taxes on tobacco products to 75 percent of the purchase price, ban the sale of tobacco products to minors, ensure proper labeling of content of the harmful nature of the product and ban on the advertising of tobacco products,” he said.

Timothy also said this year’s Caribbean Wellness Day should be used to examine Dominica’s progress in combating Chronic Non Communicable Diseases (CNCD) thus far.

He said government has placed several measures to combat CNCD’s, which according to reports have reached epidemic levels in the region. “The ministry of education has created a policy of physical activity in all classes of all schools including secondary schools. Government will continue to provide the necessary support for healthy eating at schools,” he stated.

Caribbean Wellness Day was observed under the theme “Love that Body, Work It.”

Caribbean Wellness Day was initiated by CARICOM on September 7, 2007 in commemoration of the land mark event of the first ever summit of heads of government to combat CNCDs.

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17 Comments

  1. Rastafari
    September 11, 2012

    I don’t see anywhere in the article that mentioned cigarette, not even the headline. Tobacco is the target, not cigarette. I know that tobacco has medicinal properties like ganja does so, how can you profess to hate it so much, yet manufacture it, make it legal, distribute it, market it, make if affordable and available then take me for a fool and say it is dangerous? Double standard people. Why is it not treated with the same intensity as the use and possession of ganja? HUH? Anyone wants to answer that for Rastafari? “Love that mind, don’t lose It.”

  2. Dawoud
    September 11, 2012

    In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

    All praises be to Allah as always:

    I believe it’s a good initiative by the government to curb cigarette smoking. We hope to see these laws in their proper application. I haven’t really heard much when the litter act was passed some years ago.

    Secondly, we hope they will target alcohol seriously and do a serious educational campaign on alcohol abuse and it’s health effects Allah’s willing.

    Thirdly, marijuana smoking is still done publicly. Marijuana is also an intoxicant which is already illegal. My suggestion is since marijuana is a medicinal plant and more scientific research should be done into the plant for medical purposes. License should be given to credible farmers to plant marijuana so that it could be used to make ropes, soaps and other secondary products for domestic and exports as well as to increase employment in this country.

  3. concerned
    September 11, 2012

    Lonnnnng over due

  4. Punchy
    September 11, 2012

    ..when you finish,get tough on alcohol products too… :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

  5. Mary
    September 11, 2012

    I am not going to say its a waste but. I am more concern about alcohol in young people than. Cigarette I saw. To many young alcoholics in. Dominica that cigarette smokers well weed we no is a universal thing young old. Medium. They all use it since it illegal we cannot. Price it or try stoping it. So let’s go after the cigarette

  6. Justice and Truth
    September 10, 2012

    This is a good, healthy start. Today we are more aware that smoking is bad for the health and could lead to an early demise. It is costly to treat those who develop lung cancer or other forms of illnesses due to smoking.
    Second hand smoke, inhaled is equally unhealthy. Some people never smoked but they developed lung cancer. This was due to husbands/boyfriends of all, other family members, friends and co-workers who smoked.
    There was a co-worker who smoked a few packages of cigarettes a day. Her lungs were filled with smoke that they had to be pumped to release the smoke.
    A neighbor who also smoked developed emphysema. He eventually had an oxygen tank in his home to enable him to breathe. When he was able to go out, he had to bring a hand-held one with him. He could not breathe comfortably otherwise. He was in and out of the hospital. In the end, he died. These are only two cases but there are millions of them.
    In countries as Canada where medical care is free, in terms of cost, it has taken a financial toll on the health care system.
    Today, it is prohibited to smoke in offices, government and public buildings, stores, other buildings, outside of certain buildings, in elevators, on public transit, bus and subway platforms – practically everywhere in public.
    In addition, there are those who smoke and accidentally fall asleep. This cause fires and have led to deaths. All in all, smoking is dangerous and disastrous. Better to be healthy, safe than sorry.

    • ...
      September 12, 2012

      and there’s the ones who drink and drive and kill innocents on the road… or phone and drive and do the same…

      there was also a recent study which linked lung cancer to bacterias found in shower heads… 2x showers a day could = cancer just as much as passive smoking

  7. Coco DiFiolo
    September 10, 2012

    Good move Mr Minister of health.Too many minors (children) under age 18 have access to these addictve substances.In addition to what you’ve said, we need to look at passing legislation to prohibit the sale of alcoholic beverages of all kinds to persons under 18yrs.It must be made a crime punishable by a hefty fine and imprisonment of not less than 5yrs and not more than 10yrs.It must also be mandatory for bars, restaurants, cabarets, shops,street vendors and others to prominently display in a conspicuos location signs warning under age persons to keep out.
    Now that takes us to the point of enforcement. How do we enforce such laws when we basically have no way of proving a persons’ age,identity or nationality? Therefore Mr Timothy your government must make it a priority to introduce some sort of identification card that citizens will be obligated to carry on their person.Law enforcement,immigration and other other agencies,as well as financial institutions should be required to check to verify who some is or claims to be.This is something the financial institutions should push for.

  8. ReeAreLeeTee
    September 10, 2012

    I don’t believe in banning. I think everyone has the right to choose. I do believe in increased taxes on things like alcohol and tobacco. These things do nothing to improve our country while quite on the contrary they help bring us to our demise.
    Users should still have the right to choose. All they have to do is be willing to pay for their choices.
    Good work. I hope to see this thing become a reality.

    • Neg Gwanbay
      September 11, 2012

      Is that same right to choose that have so many sick and dying in america from 1st and secondhand smoking.It should be banned there are too many young lives at stake.We are noticing a rise in cancer deaths in d/a wives getting sick because husbands smoke in the house and in bed in 60’s and 70’s.

  9. ObserverDom
    September 10, 2012

    This is a very good initiative. The ill effects of smoking as it impacts on healthcare provisions, days lost at work and shortened life span runs in to millions of dollars in a country like Dominica.

    The UK government is spending 8 million pounds on a campaign in October to get people to give up smoking for one month as research shows those people are much less likely to go back to smoking.

    Smoking is a disgusting habit and the more people who give it up, the better.

  10. blessed
    September 10, 2012

    I love the idea……………….veryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy gooooooooooooooooooooooooddddddddddddddddddddddddddd…………………these people that smoking dont have no respect, they even blowing they old smoking sense in people face. that law need to implement fasttttttttttttttttttttt…..n………………..these days all the young people want to do is smoke

  11. ...
    September 10, 2012

    I think we have a bigger alcohol and ‘herb’ issue here in Dominica than cigarette smoking…

    And maybe look at the cigarette related deaths/illnesses vs diabetes related deaths/illnesses…

    And maybe check the cigarettes they selling in stores are actually taxable… most of the stores buy/get tax free ones and sell those

  12. hmmmmmmmm
    September 10, 2012

    this is just rubbish!!!!! this will make no impact… julius timothy needs to stop trying and implement “1st world legislation in a third world country” this is a waste of resources…..

    • clean Air
      September 10, 2012

      Kudos to this!!! its is inconsiderate of people who smoke in public espeacially at events with huge crowd. None of them seem to care whether it bothers other people.

    • hmmmm
      September 10, 2012

      I don’t want to say its rubbish, but I do agree it makes no sense from the point of view people drink and drive, smoke marijuana openly, traffic drugs unchecked, murder and get away with it, urinate openly on the streets of Roseau, dump garbage indiscriminately….. etc etc, so how are they planning to curb smokers? HA! HA! its just funny, really. Place has become totally lawless to say the least.

    • MewMew
      September 10, 2012

      The real waste of resources takes place when governments have to spend millions of dollars treating tobacco-related illnesses. Smoking is a filthy destructive habit and the world would be a better place without it.

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