Shamva South
legislator Joseph Mapiki tabled a motion in the National Assembly last Thursday
calling for the amendment of the Public Health (Control of Tobacco)
Regulations, Statutory Instrument (SI) 264 of 2002.
The motion, if
adopted, will see the law extending its coverage to high-traffic public areas,
including bus terminuses and markets, which are not banned under current
regulations.
While the law
prohibits smoking in some public spaces — like buses, halls and eating places,
it, however, does not address smoking in open but congested areas where people
gather.
Mapiki
expressed concern over the health risks caused by passive smoking especially to
vulnerable groups.
“Children and
vulnerable populations are particularly at risk, as their developing bodies are
more vulnerable to the harmful effects of tobacco smoke,” he said.
Mapiki said
many people continued to smoke at places like bus stops, markets and on crowded
city streets without facing any consequences due to weak monitoring and lack of
accountability.
He said the
amendment to SI 264 should include high-traffic public areas such as towns, bus
termini and markets as prohibited smoking zones.
Mapiki called
on the Health and Child Care ministry to lead public awareness campaigns to
educate citizens about the dangers of passive smoking and the importance of
complying with tobacco control laws.
“Without public
education, we are fighting a silent battle,” he said, calling for strong
enforcement mechanisms.
“It is
well-established that smoking is not a crime and every individual has the right
to smoke at their own discretion. However, when smoking, they should ensure
that it does not adversely affect non-smokers.
“The Public
Health (Control of Tobacco) Regulations, 2002 (Statutory Instrument 264 of
2002), prohibit smoking in designated public places such as public transport,
public halls, public gatherings and eating places.”
Added Mapiki:
“These regulations were established to protect non-smokers from the harmful
effects of second-hand smoke and to promote public health.
“However, while
these measures are commendable, they do not encompass all public spaces where
individuals congregate, leaving gaps in our tobacco control framework.”
He said he had
identified significant dangers associated with passive smoking.
“It was noted
that exposure to passive smoke, also known as second-hand smoke or
environmental tobacco smoke, poses significant health risks to non-smokers,”
the MP said.
“When
non-smokers breathe in smoke exhaled by smokers or emanating from burning
tobacco products, they inhale thousands of chemicals, many of which are toxic
and cancer-causing.
“Passive
smoking has been linked to an increased risk of developing serious health
problems, including lung cancer, heart disease and stroke.”
He said passive
smoking was associated with an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome
and can worsen symptoms of existing conditions such as bronchitis and pneumonia
in babies.
“In adults,
passive smoking can cause respiratory problems, including chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease and can also increase the risk of breast cancer in
non-smoking women,” Mapiki said. Newsday
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