THE Tobacco Control Act was passed by Parliament a year ago and remains one of the most important pieces of legislation so far passed for this 21st Century.
Dr. Leslie Ramsammy was Minister of Health in the last administration when the first draft of the Tobacco Control Bill was made, and is well known as an ardent crusader against tobacco, as is his successor, Minister Volda Lawrence who is similarly committed.
Minister Lawrence has indicated that her ministry has begun to implement the Act in earnest, and this is evident from the prominent advertisements in the print media on the dangers of second-hand smoke, and pictoral illustrations of the damage suffered by the victims affected by tobacco-related diseases.
The Tobacco Industry, so far, has not mounted its expected counter-offensive but Minister Lawrence is quite prepared to meet it.
Six years ago when Ms. Amanda Cavill de Zavaley was chairman of DEMTOCO, a shareholder at the Annual General Meeting (AGM)of the company raised the question of what plan of action the company had to meet to address the growing wave of attacks on the Tobacco Industry. Ms. de Zavaley mentioned that British American Tobacco (BAT), DEMTOCO’s parent company, had for many years dealt with such attacks in various parts of the world; that Guyana was only now beginning to experience such attacks.
Tobacco use harms every organ of the body and causes more deaths than HIV, illegal drug use, alcohol use, motor vehicle accidents and suicides combined. It causes lung cancer, obstructive lung diseases such as bronchitis and emphysema, and cardiac diseases. It causes infertility and impotence, and a host of maternal problems. The reason why tobacco use is so dangerous is because tobacco contains many deadly poisons. In Guyana, 78 per cent of all deaths are due to non-communicable diseases (NCDs), all of which are related to tobacco use.It should be pointed out that not only actual smokers are affected, but those who happen to inhale such smoke emanating from others as well. These “secondary smokers” account for approximately 20 per cent of the deaths caused by tobacco use.
Guyana has, since 2005, subscribed to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC, an international health treaty under the auspices of the World Health Organisation (WHO). The Treaty sets out a guiding framework for the global struggle against the tobacco epidemic, and the Guyana Tobacco Control Act follows several of the articles of the Convention and also a series of tobacco control policies. This input from the FCTC, and the comprehensive stakeholder consultations which included the business community, the consumer association, transportation services, trade unions and the general public have made the Guyana Tobacco Control Act one of the most complete tobacco control laws in the Americas. PAHO’s Director of the Department of Non-communicable Diseases and Mental Health was high in his praise of the Act:
“The adoption of this bill,” he said, “is not only a milestone for public health in Guyana; it is a tremendous advance for CARICOM and the entire Region of the Americas.”
Among the main provisions of the Act is ensuring 100 per cent smoke-free environments in all indoor public spaces, indoor work spaces, public transportation, and specified indoor spaces to protect people from exposure to tobacco smoke.Such indoor public spaces would include bars, restaurants, certain parts of public parks, waiting rooms in offices and so on. This provision would cut down secondary smoking and its dangers.
There is a ban on all forms of advertising, sponsorship and promotion of tobacco products. Tobacco products were often advertised at sports events, and tobacco sponsorships were often given to sports activities in which young people were involved. Such sponsorships would now be ended.
Health warnings must be featured on 60 per cent of tobacco packaging, including images For example, one face of a cigarette box should carry a photograph of damage to the body caused by tobacco-induced diseases. Some of these images used in other Caribbean countries are very vivid and impacting.
There is also control of some aspects of marketing tobacco products: Tobacco products could not be sold to minors; tobacco vending machines sales are prohibited; loose cigarettes or packets of under 20 cigarettes could not be sold; and there is also a ban on the manufacture and sale of toys and candies and any other good in the form of tobacco products.
The legislation and its implementation is an important step in ensuring the Right to Health for the people of Guyana, and protecting them against the dangers of tobacco.
PAHO/WHO, in its release marking the first anniversary of the Tobacco Control Act and its call for fuller and speedier implementation, declared: “Ensuring the protection of a country’s population from the adverse effects of tobacco is a marathon process requiring stamina, coordination, perseverance, dedication, and support; but the pay-off is huge: The improved health and well-being of the citizens.”
Minister of Health Volda Lawrence is well able to successfully meet this challenge.
