Tobacco Control Bill for Parliament’s next sitting – Dr Norton

The day is drawing nearer when legislation will be put in place to ensure the regulation of tobacco smoking in Guyana.
Despite strong objections from the local tobacco industry, the Tobacco Control Bill is expected to be laid for debate at the next sitting of the National Assembly on Friday, according to Public Health Minister, Dr George Norton.
During a recent interview with Guyana Times, the Minister explained that Cabinet would first have to scrutinise the draft legislation before it was laid in Parliament, something they did not get an opportunity to do at the last Cabinet meeting.
“We rushed through our last Cabinet sitting, so we didn’t get a chance to look at the Bill, but I am hoping by the next sitting, it will be laid in the National Assembly,” he stated.
Cabinet is expected to meet today.
However, this is not the first time the Minister guaranteed that the Bill would be laid soon.
Only recently, Shadow Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony urged the Government to put an end to the lip service and act expeditiously to bring the draft Tobacco Control Bill to the National Assembly.
The legislation has been on the cards since the former People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration; however, it was never brought to the National Assembly.
Upon assumption to office in 2015, the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition intensified efforts to bring this legislation to the front burner.
It recommenced the consultation process; however, this turned sour when the local industry raised a number of objections to the draft Bill.

The key stakeholder in the tobacco trade, Demerara Tobacco Ltd has said that the Bill – in its present state – was deeply flawed.
Managing Director of the company, Maurlaine Argyle-Kirton had posited that the Bill was not “balanced” and would “cripple the tobacco industry” once passed in Parliament.
The Bill recommends restrictions on advertisement, promotion and sponsorship and also a ban on displaying tobacco products.
In fact, the Bill proposes a ban on advertising, promotion and sponsorship of the tobacco companies. This ban has been extended to corporate sponsorship.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) is calling on countries to get ready for plain (standardised) packaging of tobacco products, a method which restricts use of tobacco packaging as a form of tobacco advertising and promotion, limits misleading packaging and labelling, and increases the effectiveness of health warnings.
In this regard, Dr Anthony is urging the Government to comply with Article II (Packaging and Labelling of Tobacco Products) and Article 13 (Tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship) of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control ,which recommend the adoption of plain packaging of tobacco and tobacco products.
The draft legislation seeks to make all enclosed spaces, public places, work places and public transportation smoke-free areas; ban tobacco promotion and sponsorship; ensure clear graphic warnings on all tobacco products with the warning picture being 50 per cent of the cigarette package; and ban selling cigarettes by and to minors.
Recommendations have also been made for there to be increased taxes on the product.
Reports indicate that there are about 1.3 billion smokers in the world, most of them from developing countries and all of them at risk for debilitating chronic diseases.
The latest disease burden report estimates that globally tobacco kills approximately six million people annually. The global health care cost relating to tobacco disease is expected to increase to US$200 billion per year.
A study conducted by the Global Youth Tobacco Survey showed that 21 per cent of students aged 13-15 smokes or had smoked in Guyana. (Devina Samaroo)