FDA begins public sensitisation against smoking in public

The Food and Drugs Authority says it will soon go after consumers of cigarettes who deliberately flout the Public Health law (Tobacco Control Measures) Act 2012, Act 851), which principally bans smoking in public places.

The Act also provides legal backing for health officials to clampdown on smoking in public places.

FDA’s Head of Drug Enforcement, Thomas Amedzro, told Joy News they have already started outreach programmes to sensitise and educate the public about the negative effects of firsthand and secondary smoking.

According the Authority, from Thursday June 27, 2013 managers of public places in the Volta Region must place ‘no-smoking’ insignia at markets, supermarkets, restaurants, vehicle terminals, hotels, schools, alleys, streets, sports stadia and other public places.

Mr Geoffrey Arthur, a pharmacist with the FDA, said under the law, people could smoke only in designated places and that smoking was banned also at public toilets.

According to him, service providers could withhold services from clients who breach the law and call on the police to arrest them.

Available statistics indicate that 9% of adults in Ghana smoke cigarette and 14.3% of Junior High School students had tried smoking cigarettes. Also, 19.5% of young adults currently used tobacco products and 4.9 per cent smoke cigarettes.