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The Weekly Observer (Kampala)

Uganda: Smoking in Public Remains Banned

Irene Kiiza

28 February 2008

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Kampala — The Court of Appeal last week dismissed an appeal against the ban on smoking in public places. The appeal filed by former British American Tobacco Controller, Joseph Erayu sought to argue that the ban on smoking violated his constitutional rights as a smoker and restricted his liberty and freedom of movement.

But court unanimously found that Eryau's appeal had been overtaken and that the law banning smoking in public places was already in place.

The Environment Action Network (TEAN) spokesperson, Philip Karugaba, is optimistic that the development will help in enforcing the law on smoking in public places.

"We are obviously delighted by the result. Breathing second-hand smoke is like being punished for sins you did not commit. It exposes the non-smoker to the same deadly diseases as a smoker," Karugaba said in a statement.

"Workers in public places such as waiters and waitresses, non-smokers in a smoker's home are particularly vulnerable. We will be resuming full scale enforcement of the law in the interests of public health and safety."

According to World Health Organisation, passive smoking can cause untold damage to a person.

Dr. Paolo Boffeta of the WHO International Cancer Research Centre in Lyons says, "long-term exposure to passive smoking increases the risk of lung cancer by 20% to 50%".

That means adults who have avoided smoking all their lives can still face devastating consequences: aggravation of existing illnesses, lung cancer, heart attacks, etc.

For children the list is even longer if both parents smoke: intrauterine growth retardation, low birth weight, respiratory infections, recurrent ear infections and asthma attacks.

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