By Earl Moxam, Senior Gleaner WriterNG.JPG)
The new measures will serve as a disincentive to smokers or would-be smokers. - File
A SUBSTANTIAL increase in taxes is likely to be imposed on tobacco products when new anti-smoking legislation and accompanying policy measures are introduced next year.
The new measures will include, as one of the principal weapons, a provision to raise the price of cigarettes to a level that would serve as a disincentive to smokers or would-be smokers.
Dr. Eva Lewis Fuller, director of co-operation in the Ministry of Health, told the Human and Social Development Committee of Parliament yesterday that the Bill was likely to mandate the licensing of wholesalers of tobacco products; prohibit the sale and distribution of tobacco to minors; ban the use of tobacco products by adults in schools; and restrict promotions using tobacco products.
Health advisories placed on cigarette packets are also be made more graphic.
Dr. Lewis Fuller was among several experts who appeared before the parliamentary committee, which has been mandated to examine the proposals in the pending
legislation.
Dr. Knox Hagley, chairman of the Coalition for Tobacco Control, gave graphic testimony as to the harmful effects of cigarettes and other tobacco products, citing World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that one-third of all cancers in the world are related to smoking.
He pointed out as well that smoking was a major contributor to diseases of the cardiovascular system and was a significant contributor to heart attacks, including those occurring in many pre-menopausal women.
The pending legislation is in keeping with Jamaica's obligations under the 2003 Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, developed by the WHO.
The Convention was signed by Prime Minister P.J. Patterson at the United Nations in New York in September.
Dr. Donald Rhodd, chairman of the Human and Social Development Committee, promised that the members would offer their full support for the Bill when it is brought to Parliament for enactment.
Before the measure is brought to Parliament, the possible economic impact of the proposed restrictions will be carefully considered.
According to current figures, the industry employs 1,051 people directly while 30,000 small businesses are involved in the retail trade.
While acknowledging the importance of these figures and the long-term impact on revenue inflows arising from more restrictive measures, Dr. Rhodd insisted that alternative sources of income and revenue would have to be developed.
The economic figures are set against statistics provided by the National Council on Drug Abuse (NCDA),which show that there are 587,000 smokers in Jamaica, of whom 195,000 are women.
Globally, the WHO estimates that four million people die annually as a result of tobacco use and that 250 million children alive today will die of tobacco-related illnesses if corrective measures are not adopted now.
If Dr. Rhodd has his way, those parliamentarians who smoke may also find themselves spending many uncomfortable hours at Gordon House in the future. The Committee, he said, would be recommending that the precincts of Gordon House itself be declared a smoke-free zone, arguing that the Legislators needed to set a good example for the nation.
