Tobacco.org

Education campaign for Tobacco Law 

During a press conference Leader of Government Business McKeeva Bush reiterated Tobacco Law passed in October 2008 would finally take effect by the end of the year, and that public education campaign will be launched late November or early December.

"While regrettable, this delay will allow us to get it right and does have the added benefit that residents and businesses now have ample time to get to know the provisions of the Law before it comes into effect," Mr Bush said.

"We hope to see the regulations finalised and approved within a few weeks, after which public health officials will start a public education campaign that will include town hall-style stakeholder meetings," he said Mr Bush said that the delay in the Tobacco Law which is being pushed back to 31 December 2009, would allow the government the time needed to get it right.

"We want to assure business owners that they will have access to all the necessary information, so they can be compliant with the Law," Mr Bush explained.

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• Tobacco Law date: 31 Dec. 

Cayman Islands lawmakers have set a new date for the implementation of a smoking ban in bars and restaurants after deciding a 30 October deadline could simply not be met.

The new date, set out in a legal amendment to the Tobacco Law (Commencement) Order, 2009 will be 31 December.

Health Minister Mark Scotland had earlier vowed to have the smoking ban in effect "no later than that date" and said the current government fully intended to implement and enforce the smoking ban.

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Today’s Editorial October 23: Tobacco Law dead again 

We hate to say we told you so, but...

Implementation of the Tobacco Law won't happen at the end of this month as promised by the previous government. . . .

Under the former government, the Ministry of Health and Human Services said there was no point in bringing the Tobacco Law into effect if it can't be enforced.

We disagree. There are many laws on the books of the Cayman Islands that have no enforcement or procedure regulations.

Yes, there is some fine tuning to regulations that must be done, but the law needs to be implemented. . . .

Mr. McKeeva Bush is a man of his word and as such we expect to see the tobacco law regulations implemented soon and the Tobacco Law to become real under his leadership sooner rather than later.

Yes, the country is faced with many other important issues at the present that require much of Government's attention, but this legislation has the potential to help save lives. It must be implemented.

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Tobacco Law delayed again 

Caymanian smokers can rest easy. The anti tobacco law is going to miss yet another deadline.

Required regulations will not be ready to meet the 30 October deadline to fully implement the Tobacco Law, making it the second delay since the law was passed one year ago.

Government missed a deadline of 31 May, which was set by the previous government, to coincide with World No Tobacco Day.

Just 11 days prior to the 31 May deadline a new Government was voted in and Mark Scotland took the helm as Health Minister.

Despite the fact that there was a 60day consultation period, a Chamber of Commerce luncheon and other forums seeking input on the Tobacco Law, Mr. Scotland said the regulations just aren't ready. . . .

Once the regulations are in effect, the law will ban smoking in bars, restaurants and places of collective use.

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Exchange bar smoke free 

A popular George Town bar and lounge has decided not to wait for a national smoking ban to come into effect, declaring itself smoke free.

The Exchange Bar and Lounge, formerly known as The Grapevine, decided to go smoke-free after visiting the website of the Cayman Islands Cancer Society and deciding it wanted to join the smoke-free movement.

"The more we learn about the dangers of second-hand smoke and the benefits of smoke-free environments, the easier it becomes to make that transition to a non-smoking venue," said Renee Brough, a representative of the venue. "After many requests from our existing customers to become smoke-free and the obvious health benefits for our employees alike, the advantages kept increasing."

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• Tobacco law finally here 

Legislators have described as historic, last week's passage of a law that will ban smoking in many public places and place tougher restrictions on the promotion, sale and distribution of tobacco products.

Cigar smokers will still be able to smoke indoors under an exemption for cigar bars. Photo: James Dimond

After receiving unanimous approval in the Legislative Assembly, the bill will now go to Governor Stuart Jack for his assent.

Most parts of the bill are expected to come into force within six months of Mr. Jack signing off on the law, although Mr. Eden said he expects enforcement officers will give the public some leeway as they get used to the new anti-smoking regime.

"It's not about prosecuting people, it's about the health of the nation,

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• Cigar exemption raises concern 

Two health advocacy groups are concerned there will be an increase in the number of venue’s calling themselves cigar bars in the Cayman Islands under a plan to exempt them from a general ban on indoor smoking.

Under a revised version of the Tobacco Bill that was released last week, cigar bars – defined in the law as “a licensed business that caters to patrons who smoke cigars on premises,” – will be exempt from the general ban on smoking inside public places.

“The definition of a cigar bar in the bill appears somewhat vague,” the Cayman Islands Cancer Society and the Cayman Heart Fund said in a joint statement. “We are concerned that we will see a sudden increase in the number of cigar bars on all three islands,” they said.

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Today’s Editorial for September 16: Smoking legislation welcomed 

The news that the Cayman Islands is about to get a law that legislates tobacco use is indeed welcome.

But we have to wonder, is it enough?

One of the main concerns is the exemption of cigar bars under the law. . . .

The Tobacco Law proposal allows for segregation of outdoor smoking and non-smoking areas, but there is no buffer zone between the two areas.

Regulations will need to set out how far apart smoking and non-smoking areas of establishments should be.

Cayman has long needed a law on the books that makes it illegal to sell tobacco products to minors

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Anti-smoking law up in the air 

About 16 months after the draft Tobacco Bill was brought before the Legislative Assembly (LA), it is still not clear when anti-smoking legistration will be introduced to the Cayman Islands.

The draft Tobacco Bill 2007, which amongst other things seeks to prohibit both the promotion of tobacco products and smoking in enclosed workplaces and enclosed public places, was brought before the LA in March 2007.

In response to a request from Cayman Net News seeking clarification on the progress of the bill, the Ministry of Health issued the following statement:

"The Ministry is currently reviewing what is hoped will be the final draft, having taken representations from a variety of sources. In keeping with the Ministry's vision of 'Optimal Well Being for All', the Tobacco Bill remains a top priority."

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Todays Editorial July 03: Where is smoking legislation? 

We welcome the news that another bar has chosen to go smoke free on its own without waiting for Government legislation.

The Corner Pocket at Alissta Towers is the latest of more than 40 venues on Grand Cayman that have chosen to take the smoking issue into their own hands.

Will they lose business for making this bold decision? We don’t think so. . . .

If Government isn’t going to step up to the plate we have to take matters into our own hands.

While it’s good that businesses have instituted no–smoking policies in their buildings in the Cayman Islands, it’s not enough.

Government has to come through with its promise of tobacco legislation.

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Commentary: As We See It: Cough, cough; Hack, hack 

In 1492, Rodrigo de Jerez was the first victim of the anti-smoking lobby. Having returned from Cuba with Christopher Columbus, he smoked tobacco in Spain and was seen exhaling smoke from his nose. The Inquisition promptly incarcerated him for seven years. A bit harsh for a public smoking ban! By the time he was released, smoking was all the rage in Spain. . . .

aturally, removing the smoke is the simplest and most effective way of getting rid of the 'hazard' and thereby eliminating any possibility of lawsuits, unhappy customers and risking the employees' health.

Whatever your view on the subject, the ban will be a culture shock. . . .

The Cayman Labour Law requires that employers must make sure a place of work is as safe as is reasonably practical for their employees. And therein lies the crunch. Since it is now proven that even passive cigarette smoke has the potential to cause cancer, if an employer allows smoking on their premises, that means they are willingly risking the health of their staff. . . .

For those of you who don't wish to quit, I respect your decision, but hope that at some point in your life you will realise, as I did, that your long term health and your best interest will be served by going smoke free.

Good luck to all our readers.

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'World No Tobacco Day' targets youth 

A number of public bodies have joined forces to promote the dangers of smoking in honour of World No Tobacco Day (WNTD), set for Saturday, 31 May.

WNTD is an initiative of the World Health Organisation, first commemorated in 1988 and annually since 1990. This year's theme is Tobacco-Free Youth.

Christine Sanders, Chief Operating Officer at the Cayman Islands Cancer Society said, "Young people are targeted by the tobacco industry who are looking for the next generation of tobacco users. They are influenced by role models, both persons in their everyday lives such as parents, other relatives and friends and also by musicians, sports and other personalities."

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New tobacco bill drafted 

The government has drafted a new tobacco bill that might be tabled in the Legislative Assembly as early as February.

Reading from a statement during the Cabinet press briefing on Thursday, Leader of Government Business Kurt Tibbetts said the revised bill took on board comments provided during the public consultation period that followed the tabling of the discussion white paper bill last March.

Mr. Tibbetts said the revised bill would also be tabled with regulations. . . .

The draft Tobacco Bill banned smoking in most public places, including bars and restaurants, parks and other gathering places. It also put strict regulations on the sale, advertising, display and packaging of tobacco products.

Several business owners complained about the possible negative effect a smoking ban would have on their businesses.

Cigar bars, in particular, lobbied to be exempt

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LETTER: Smoking ban comments astonishing 

I found Dr. Yin’s comments concerning the effects of the smoking ban in Scotland astonishing.

As a medic, does she really think that in only one year people who have smoked for years can cut hospital admissions by 17 per cent?

If she thinks that a smoking ban similar to ours will help children from starting, she should visit Scotland and see for herself.

The truth of the matter in Scotland is that smokers are forced to stand outside bars and restaurants in full view of the public (children included). . . .

Although this kind of problem does not affect the Cayman Islands, I have witnessed some of the terrific storms that you do get and would not like to stand in the open during these.

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LETTER: Statements misleading 

The 8 January article on banning smoking in the Cayman Islands contains a number of misleading and misinformed statements that are purposely promoted by the anti-smoking zealots to advance their cause.

Smoking bans have not had any certifiable affect on a populations' health.

The Scottish example is not a scientific study and does not consider any other factor in the drop of heart attack numbers.

In fact, worldwide (and specifically in America) smoking is up. . . .

Although it does not support the anti-smokers, it would do them well to read the World Health Organizations report on environmental smoke, the one where they found no scientific evidence to support a link between second hand smoke and health.

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