Tobacco.org

• Tobacco Bill Being Drafted As Act of Parliament 

The long-awaited legislation that the government is to introduce to ban smoking in public places, is still with the legal drafters.

The Tobacco Bill was first drafted between 1992 and 1993, and dragged on and on until 2005 when it was tabbed and adopted in Parliament. The legal drafters are now preparing the Bill as an Act of Parliament - the Tobacco Control Act.

If introduced, the law will ban smoking in public places which is blamed for deaths, diseases such as cancers and Tuberculosis, and also stillbirths.

Statistics compiled in 2000 in Namibia indicate a smoking prevalence of over 45 percent. In that year, 30 males per 100000 died of trachea, lung and bronchus cancer, representing a mortality rate of 25.5 percent. The same year 2000 saw 96 males per 100000 die of lip, oral cavity and pharynx cancer.

However, in females fewer deaths were reported from the two categories . . .

Among reasons cited for the delay in coming up with legislation are high staff turnover, lack of skills and lack of political drive. Head of the Information, Education and Communication Division in the Ministry of Health and Social Services, Mbashupi Maloboka, told New Era yesterday that the Bill took long to be tabled because the ministry lacks the staff

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