The
Uganda Parliamentary Forum on Non Communicable Diseases (PFNCD) together with
ministry of Health is in the process of securing a certificate of financial
implications from Ministry of Finance in a bid to have the Anti-Tobacco bill passed
into law.
This
was revealed during the official launch of the Public Awareness and Advocacy
Campaign against tobacco yesterday. The launch that was marked with a match
from ministry of health to Chogm gardens opposite parliament was held under the
theme, ‘tobacco is addictive, harms health and kills; say no to tobacco!’
“We
need this certificate so that we are able to table the bill in parliament, have
it debated on and consented by the president so that it becomes a comprehensive
and operational law in Uganda,” Hon. Benny Namugwanya Bugembe, PFNCD’s
chairperson said.
Uganda
is party to the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco
Control (FCTC), the first healthy treaty which requires that countries put in
place mechanisms to address the devastating health, socio economic and
environmental effects of tobacco under its Article 5.3.
The
bill that was moved last year by Kinkizi East MP, Chris Baryomunsi proposes
increase on the tax of tobacco products, prohibition of the sale and
importation of duty free tobacco products, ban on tobacco advertising,
promotion and sponsorship and the ban of selling tobacco products to minors
among others.
It
also proposes the establishment of a tobacco control committee under the office
of the Prime minister with the Ministry of Health as the Secretariat. When
enacted into law, it will be called the Tobacco Control Act and shall serve as
an amendment to the Tobacco Control and Marketing Act of 1967 and the National
Environment (Control of smoking in public places) Regulations of 2004.
“The
passing of the bill into law should have happened last December but did not because
of the prioritization of the oil bill and the death of Nebanda which
overshadowed it. But we are ready to have a tobacco law because it is today
that we help save lives for the better future or never!”Hon. Namugwanya said.
As
a means to realizing this goal, Uganda has drafted a tobacco control policy to
address tobacco consumption and production.
“Government,
under this policy is proposing to routinely raise taxes so that the retail
price of tobacco products is high enough and unaffordable for minors and reduce
on tobacco use among adults,” said Hon. Sarah Achieng Opendi, the minister of
state for primary health care.
In
view of protecting people from secondhand smoke, the government is proposing to
amend the existing legislation on exposure to second hand tobacco smoke in
order to make to complaint to the FCTC guidelines to achieve 100% smoke free
public places. Failure to abide by government laws will lead to closure of such
places.
Achieng
added that when the bill is passed into law, government shall undertake a
comprehensive ban of all tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship
including corporate social responsibility by the tobacco industry.
Major
stakeholders targeted for the campaign include ministries of trade, tourism,
agriculture, health and local government and civil society organizations. Ministry
of agriculture will be in charge of overseeing the implementation of
alternative livelihoods for tobacco growers. For example in Yumbe and Zombo
districts, some farmers have destroyed their tobacco farms and replaced it with
growing food crops.
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