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Health Minister urges debate on banning smoking in public transportation

Sep 07, 2008 News

Health Minister, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy has said that over the past few weeks, his Ministry has been receiving numerous calls from members of the public for smoking to be banned in the transportation system, such as in minibuses and hire cars.
As such, the Minister is encouraging persons to commence the debate on the issue so that the Health Ministry can take the relevant steps in curbing the problem.
Recently, the Minister had revealed that his Ministry is looking at tabling legislation to ban smoking in public places, as he had noted that Guyanese do not recognize how dangerous the substance is.
Currently, the use of tobacco continues to be an area of major focus for the Health Ministry and in this regard, Minister Ramsammy had urged the public to begin the debate and join the advocacy on encouraging people to stop smoking.
He explained that if Guyanese start to voice their opinions on whether or not the government should ban smoking in public places, then his Ministry will move in the direction of having the relevant laws in place to address the issue.
He had noted that his Ministry is prepared to make a proposal to Cabinet on the issue, as long as Guyanese are prepared to discuss the matter.
Currently, smoking has been banned in all health and educational facilities in the country.
However, Minister Ramsammy is advocating the need to address what takes place at local universities, workplaces, restaurants and bars, where there are frequently large numbers of people, who are exposed to second hand smoking.
He emphasized that it is a ‘big issue,’ which people need to start to discuss.
So far, nine countries around the world have entirely banned the use of tobacco in public places, while other countries have implemented partial banning.
Partial banning on the use of the substance has been instituted in fourteen countries in the Americas, thirty countries in Africa and nineteen countries in the Western Pacific.
Once the debate on the issue begins amongst members of the public, and it is in favour of banning smoking in public places and the transportation system, then according to Ramsammy, a proposal will be made to Cabinet to have legislation passed in Parliament to institute such a ban.

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