Public Agenda (Accra)
John the Baptist Anirra Abaah
7 November 2008
opinion
Kumasi — Smoking is a habit like alcohol consumption, easy to fall in love with but very difficult to abandon. Even smokers themselves do admit that the habit is "bad" and if they could, they would readily flick it away like they do at the finish of a smoke or cigarette.
In some disciplined countries, like Japan and Singapore, smoking is tolerated to some extent. In some European Union states, there are designated places for smoking in restaurants and drinking bars.
Countries like, Morocco and Uganda in Africa, are leading the crusade against smoking in public places, Public Agenda has come across a document on "The need for a Ban on Smoking in Public Places". The Food and Drugs Board has come out with some "Perspective" on the issue.
It states that there is a "recognition of the growing threat of tobacco epidemic" which has "led to the development of the WHO, FCTC, the International treaty that affirms the right of all people to the highest standard of health.
Ghana, being a party to the WHO framework Convention has committed to protect her populace by fighting against the tobacco epidemic and by inference the Implementation of Article 8 of the FCTC, "protection from exposure to tobacco smoking" and Section 7, subsection (1) and (2) of the National Tobacco Control Bill.
Are there reasons for the need for a ban on smoking in public places?
There is no doubt about that the Food and Drugs Board definitely has some telling reasons for advocating the ban. Primary among them is the fact that Second-hand smoking contributes to a range of diseases, smoke-free environments help smokers who want to quit.
heSupporting the National premise upon which a ban on smoking in public places can be instituted, the Food and Drugs Board says "Legislation mandating smoke-free public places also encourages families to make their homes smoke-free", while additionally it "helps protect children and other family members from the dangers of breathing their smoke."
"Smoke-fuel policies are populated" says the document and there is overwhelming support for the cause.
Indeed, smoke-free workplaces are primarily aimed at protecting workers' health such that "the debate on smoke-free workplaces should be framed around it being a worker-safety issue."
Human rights also play a part in the cause for the ban. Governments should be obliged to protect life as a fundamental human right, forced exposure to second-hand smoke clearly infringes upon this right.
The only intervention in this matter is complete "Prohibition of smoking in all indoor environments" which effectively protects people from the ban of second-hand smoke.
Paragraph (h) of section 2 of the Governmental Protection Agency Act, 1994 (Act 490) mandates the EPA "to prescribe standards and guidelines relating to the pollution of the air, water, land and any other forms of environmental pollution including the discharge of waste and the control of toxic substances".
Ghana has several reasons to ban smoking in public places; second-hand smoking is very dangerous to our health. It causes cancer as well as many serious respiratory and cardiovascular diseases in children and adults leading to death.
Indisputable conclusions have been reached by international and national health authorities, backed up by extensive rigorous reviews and published research results over many years. Evidence demands an immediate decisive response, to protect the health of all people.
Records for a smoke-free Ghana include the right to clean air, free from tobacco smoke as a human right; second-hand tobacco smoking not only causes serious illnesses, it also kills.
Would-be quitters revel in the idea to quit because of smoke-free environments. Similarly, both smokers and non-smokers support a ban on smoking.
The document declares that evidence from countries including Ireland, New Zealand, Norway and Scotland, as well as cities like San Francisco, El Paso, Boston and New York, considered "mega-cities" in terms of their population, show that Smoke-Free Environments work and are supported by the public. In such places, levels of compliance can be close to 100% when good enforcement mechanisms are in place.
The document is unequivocal about the need for establishment: "Bans of smoking in public places can protect non-smokers from the environmental tobacco smoke and reduce consumption. Experience in some countries, demonstrates that comprehensive smoke-free legislation is essential to ensure that all members of the community can enjoy smoke-free public places and work places."
Is Ghana ready to effect the ban in public places? If Morocco has done it and Uganda supports the ban, why not Ghana? Are we shirking from our usual "first on the scene", (apologies to TV3) stand?
Conspicuously missing from the document is the definition of "public places". Does it refer to buses, taxis, hospitals and wards, restaurants, bars, public toilets or where?
Isaac Nkrumah of the GPRTU, Ashanti Regional Secretariat, says "smoking is an obnoxious habit. We need clean air so that we can work hard," emphasizing, "One day, I'll go on a one-man demonstration against smoking in public places".
I hope somebody is listening. I am, are you? Is our Parliament ready to do the task? Ghana certainly needs smoke-free environments and public places. Come on!
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