Jump to full article: Minivan News (mv), 2009-10-19
Author: Ahmed Naish Majlis chamber
Intro: A tobacco control bill proposed by the government to ban smoking in public places and set restrictions on its use was sent to committee for further review today.
All 55 MPs who participated voted in favour of sending the bill to the social affairs committee.
Presenting the bill at a previous sitting, Health Minister Aminath Jameel said the dangers and health risks of tobacco were well established and the habit led to extreme suffering.
"When I looked at the statistics of our country, I see cancer, one of the most painful of diseases. In 2004, 40 people passed away. In 2008, the number of people who died from different types of cancer increased to 79," she said.
The number of people who died of heart diseases increased from 192 people in 2004 to 403 in 2008, she added.
The bill states its purpose is to keep children away from tobacco use, provide information to smokers to make responsible decisions and stop advertisement and promotion of cigarettes.
The second clause of the bill states that everyone has the right to protection from passive smoking.
Jump to full article » |