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Smoking in public places is illegal – says Director of Chronic Diseases Unit
– businesses can be charged $9M for breaching law
It is prohibited for persons to smoke a hookah in any public space. This is according to the Tobacco Control Act (TCA) of 2017 and the Director of the Chronic Diseases Unit under the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), Dr. Kavita Singh.
The Strip Hookah Lounge
Director of Chronic Diseases Programme, Dr. Kavita Singh
During an interview with Kaieteur News on Thursday last, the Director made it known that hookah smoking has much more health risks when compared to cigarette smoking.
Since this product contains tobacco and is more dangerous, it must be forbidden from use in any public setting, Dr Singh said.
In August 2017 when The Tobacco Control Act came into effect, it paved the way for 100% smoke-free environments in all public spaces, indoor work spaces, public transportation, and specified indoor spaces to protect persons from exposure to tobacco smoke.
Even though the legislation has been in place for almost three years, Dr. Singh said that some companies, businesses and persons have disregarded the Act and the provisions listed in it.
The doctor said that under the legislation, the use of tobacco products such as cigarettes, e-cigarettes, vapours and hookah in public spaces is prohibited, but some clubs and bars, particularly in Georgetown, are guilty of offering these very products.
Dr. Singh stated that it is illegal for businesses to be selling hookahs. She listed a few places that are in violation of the legislation.
She explained that on almost any given day of the week, one could stroll into popular spots like The Strip Hookah Lounge, Level, Boardoom, (bars which are located at the Giftland Mall), Palm Court, Red Bar, and others and spot a hookah on a table.
She revealed that she has reached out to the management of the Giftland Mall on number of occasions and has informed them that they were in breach of the Tobacco Control Act.
She said that for two weeks the bars stopped selling hookahs out of “respect for the laws”. Unfortunately, they relapsed.
Penalties for violating Tobacco Control Act
Dr. Singh said that breaches could attract a fine of $9 million and/ or two months imprisonment for a company that breaks the Tobacco Control Act.
For smoking in a public space you can be fined $20,000 and serve six months’ imprisonment. She added that anyone who wants to smoke must do so at least five meters from any opening.
Cigarettes vs. Hookah; Which is more dangerous to health?
In the aspect of health, non-communicable diseases (NCDS) account for 68% of all mortalities, the Director disclosed.
“Every year when you tally up the number of people who die, a very large percentage of them died because of NCDS, of which tobacco use is a risk factor among all of the deaths.
“Nobody understands the sufferings of the patient, so it is a priority for me that we protect not just the smokers but also the non- smokers.”
“It is much more harmful in the sense that it increases the abuse liability. By passing the smoke through water, it becomes less harsh and by adding flavour, it becomes more palatable so the user tends to use it more over a longer period so you find there is increased exposure to one of the major components and that is carbon monoxide,” Dr. Singh explained.
She said that a person exposed to one session of hookah gets 15 times the amount of carbon monoxide as compared to using conventional cigarettes since that person will be inhaling 100 times the smoke than if he had smoked cigarettes.
“A lot of persons are under the impression that hookah is not tobacco. I want to emphasise that hookah is tobacco at least that is how it was invented to be used; of course, we know there are variations.”
She emphasised that there is no safe tobacco product and the use of tobacco will remain on the government’s radar.
“We will not stop until there is no user of tobacco. It’s a long cry but we are willing to take up the challenge,” Dr. Singh declared.
According to data issued by the American Heart Association, there is growing evidence that hookah smoking affects heart rate and blood pressure, with chronic use linked to an increased risk of heart disease.
A review of the evidence shows that hookah smoke contains many of the same toxic chemicals present in cigarettes, and sometimes, these harmful chemicals are even higher in hookah than in cigarettes.
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