Jump to full article: All-Africa.com, 2009-05-31
Author: Catherine Bekunda And Francis Kagolo
Intro: YESTERDAY, Uganda joined the rest of the world to mark the World No Tobacco Day. Anti-cigarette activists are vowing to step up the campaign to compel the Government to tighten its grip on smokers who do not care about other people's health.
According to the Uganda Heart Institute, tobacco is the leading cause of preventable cancer deaths in the world, accounting for over 5.2 million deaths annually.
It is projected that the death toll of tobacco-related diseases will rise to 10 million per year, with 70% occurring in developing countries.
Owing to such health risks, in 2004 the Government passed a law barring smoking in public places.
It is considered a violation of non-smokers' rights to life and to a clean and healthy environment.
The then water, lands and environment minister, Kahinda Otafiire, ordered the ban to take immediate effect. . . .
However, despite the heath risks it poses, smoking has continued to thrive even in public places, in total disregard of the law.
And the bodies that should have implemented the legislation have not intervened much.
As a result, mob justice has increased due to increased smoking in public places, as non-smokers struggle to guard themselves from the effects of passive smoking. . . .
Karugaba blames the environmental watchdog, National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) for failing to crack down on smokers.
The Police in Tororo last year arrested one Julius Opondo over allegedly killing a colleague, Desiderio Okecho, by twisting his neck for lighting a cigarette in Wawulere Market.
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