The 13th World Conference on Tobacco OR Health

Objective: The Smoke Free Environment Project attempted to eliminate cigarette smoking in public places. According to the National Agency for the Campaign Against Drug Abuse, 10 billion sticks of cigarettes were consumed in 2004 alone. This exposes millions of people to second hand smoke. The government has failed to provide legislation to ban smoking in public places due to the undue influence from tobacco companies who pay over US$140,000,000 in taxes annually

Methods: The effort focused on: collecting information from the non-smoking public who are exposed to second hand smoke; educating the general public on the dangers of exposure to second hand tobacco smoke, enlisting the public support for a total ban on tobacco smoking in public places; drafting a model Public Health (Public Smoking) Rules, 2005, lobbying the government to ban smoking within public buildings and, conducting press conferences and radio and TV programmes on the dangers of second hand smoke.

Results: The Smoke Free Environment Project found out that over 80% of the citizens supported a total ban of smoking in public places and were ready to ask smokers not to smoke in their presence. The Government issues a circular to all public institutions to declare all public buildings “No Tobacco Smoking Areas”. The Ministry of Health promised to publish the Public Health (Public Smoking) Rules soon. Additional work is needed to lobby Parliament to pass the Tobacco Control Bill which has been pending for the last 7 years due to the adverse influence of tobacco companies.