{"id":18068,"date":"2018-07-23T12:33:49","date_gmt":"2018-07-23T16:33:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?p=18068"},"modified":"2018-07-23T12:33:49","modified_gmt":"2018-07-23T16:33:49","slug":"law-to-prevent-smoking-in-public-places-passes-lower-house","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/law-to-prevent-smoking-in-public-places-passes-lower-house\/","title":{"rendered":"Law to prevent smoking in public places passes Lower House"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Tobacco Control Bill which prohibits smoking in public places has passed after the debate in the Lower House.<\/p>

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“We have an obligation to protect those who are innocent bystanders,” said Health Minister Molwyn Joseph.<\/p>\n

The bill places several restrictions\u00a0on smokers and people involved in the tobacco business.<\/p>

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Under the new bill, a\u00a0person shall not smoke a tobacco product in any enclosed public place, enclosed workplace, or on a public conveyance, including, but in no way limited to, any place listed in the Second Schedule.<\/p>

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It also prevents smoking a tobacco product in any of the following outdoor public or workspaces –
\n(a) any outdoor space that is designated as a no-smoking area by the person responsible for the premises;
\n(b) within 15 meters of any doorway, operable window, or air intake mechanism;
\n(c) within 15 meters of any waiting area or queue, including but not limited to public transport stops;
\n(d) the premises of any child care facility or educational facility at any level of instruction;
\n(e) the premises of any health care facility;
\n(f) a playground, amusement park, plaza, or public park;
\n(g) a stadium, arena, or any kind of sports, music, arts, or other performance space;
\n(h) a space for the service or consumption of food or drink; and
\n(i) any other outdoor public or workspace as may be specified in regulations.<\/p>\n

This legislation seeks to eliminate the damage of second hand smoking,” Joseph said while wrapping up debate on the bill.<\/p>

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The health minister added, “we will do what is appropriate to protect our people.”<\/p>\n

The bill will also seek to curtail tobacco advertising promotion and sponsorship.<\/p>

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There are also restrictions on where the substance can be sold.<\/p>

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For\u00a0example, a\u00a0person shall not sell a tobacco product anywhere within the indoor or outdoor premises of the following places –
\n(a) any facility where health care services are provided;
\n(b) hospitality venues, such as restaurants, bars, clubs, casinos, and places of accommodation
\n(c) sporting, entertainment, music, dance, and social venues or events;
\n(d) government facilities;
\n(e) educational facilities; and
\n(f) any other place as may be prescribed in regulations.<\/p>\n

Joseph said the restrictions will help curtail actions which lead to chronic non-communicable\u00a0diseases in the country.<\/p>\n

During the committee stage, Members of Parliament made several recommendations\u00a0on how the bill can be improved.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Tobacco Control Bill which prohibits smoking in public places has passed after the debate in the Lower House. “We have an obligation to protect those who are innocent bystanders,” said Health Minister Molwyn Joseph. The bill places several restrictions\u00a0on smokers and people involved in the tobacco business. Under the new bill, a\u00a0person shall not […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":18075,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18068","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nLaw to prevent smoking in public places passes Lower House - Antigua News Room<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/law-to-prevent-smoking-in-public-places-passes-lower-house\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Law to prevent smoking in public places passes Lower House\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Tobacco Control Bill which prohibits smoking in public places has passed after the debate in the Lower House. “We have an obligation to protect those who are innocent bystanders,” said Health Minister Molwyn Joseph. 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