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    Monday, May 27, 2013

    SMOKING: STAKEHOLDERS ADVOCATE FOR DESIGNATED PLACES IN PROPOSED LAW

    Speaker, Adeyemi Ikuforiji

    Majority of stakeholders at a Public Hearing organised by the Lagos State House of Assembly on a bill to prohibit smoking at public places in the state have advocated for designated areas for smokers to be incorporated into the proposed law.  
    The Bill titled: "A bill for a law to provide for a Law to Provides for the Regulation of Smoking in Designated Places in Lagos State and for connected purposes," is a private member one aimed at protecting lives as was stated by the Speaker, Adeyemi Ikuforiji who was represented by the Majority Leader, Ajibayo Adeyeye.
    Sola Dosunmu, a representative from the British-American Tobacco Company said that the bill should consist designated places for smoking. Dosunmu said that restriction of smoking could only affect the sale but not the consumptions.
    He added that he support the prohibition of smoking at the schools and selling the product to underage should not be allowed. Babatunde Ogala, a legal practitioner, said in his contribution that tobacco is not in either concurrent or exclusive lists which according to him invariably means that Lagos was in the right direction.
    Ogala who is a former member of the House, said that the issue of tobacco should be domesticated in the ministry of health but not at the Ministry of the Environment as currently being stipulated. He said the bill ought to state the designated places where smokers could stay to carry out their right for to be seen as not infringing on their personal liberty.
    "We must make designated places for smoking in the public places, it must not be total ban.  Obiora Awo, a tobacco seller said that the bill when passed to law would create unemployment in the State. She added that if such law was in place it would affect the sales of tobacco which could lead to mass retrenchment.  Awo said that tobacco though has been labelled that it is injurious to the health, yet its economic value should not be toyed with.
    Some of the provisions of the bill included: person who owns or drives school buses or vehicles meant for public conveyance shall post in appropriate, in a clear, conspicuous and sufficient manner," No-Smoking".
    The bill also provides that any owner/Occupier must put up a No-Smoking sign in a conspicuous area on his property. Anybody smoking in the area commits an offence and shall be liableon conviction to a fine N100,000 or imprisonment for 6 month or both.
    Where an offence is committed by a body corporate, firm or association, any person who is acting in any such capacity shall be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine of N250,000. In his welcome address, the Chairman House committee on the Environment, Hon. Abiodun Tobun said that the law had being in existence in other countries, adding that it became necessary for such public hearing in order to get public inputs.
    Meanwhile, a member of the Assembly from Eti-Osa Constituency 2, Hon. Gbolahan Yishawu has expressed optimism that the proposed Bill against indiscriminate smoking at public places under the deliberation of the House would scale through and eventually become law.
    The bill is aimed at preventing the non-smokers from being forced to consume smoke through lackadaisical habit of the addicted smokers.
    Yishawu, who is the initiator of the Bill, said this while chatting with the House correspondents that the bill has nothing to do with banning of the sales of Tobacco cigarette but he added that the purpose of the Bill is to ensure that the smoke coming from the cigarette does not harm other people who do not smoke.
    "The critical aspect of the bill is to protect the non-smokers from second and third degree smoke. My argument is that it is wrong for anybody to smoke in an enclosure because of its aftermath effects on the non-smokers' health.
    "For instance, if you are a boss and you smoke in your office, the people who work with you who have no choice than to comply with what you are doing would be seriously affected and that is wrong.
    "If you choose to live a lifestyle, it is your choice and you should not affect other people's lives with your own habit. As a matter of fact, you should not smoke except you see the sky so that the smoke can easily evaporate into thin air. "The study also has shown that if you smoke in an enclosure, your body and your cloth will absorb the smoke and when you get out of the place anybody that comes your way will be affected by the degree of the smoke you are carrying", he said.
    He therefore stressed that the Bill was not meant to witch-hunt or cripple other people's businesses, adding that it was necessary to strike a balance between the importance of good health and doing a habit that is injurious to other people's health.
    He said, "My intention of the Bill is not to cripple other people's businesses but we need to strike a balance as to what we enjoy doing and our responsibility to others.”
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