Minister committed to smoke-free environment
(CNS): In his message marking World No Tobacco Day on Thursday, Cayman’s health minister said the government was serious about its commitment to protect and promote the health of residents by mandating a smoke free environment. With this year’s theme, "The Tobacco Industry’s Interference", focusing on brazen and increasingly aggressive attempts to undermine the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) by the industry, Mark Scotland said officials remain alert to any and all efforts by the tobacco industry to subvert tobacco control.
He pointed to the requirement in the law for health warnings that can include graphics to occupy at least 30% of each display area of all cigarette packaging.
“The Tobacco Law also provides for smoke free public places, including all work places, bars, restaurants and parks,” the minister said. “It prohibits the sale of tobacco products to minors … and prohibits tobacco advertising and promotion, which the tobacco industry has in the past used with great success to increase their market share by glamorizing tobacco use.”
He applauded the continuous education efforts of the Public Health Department and the Cayman Islands Cancer Society in their message of prevention and cessation as he called on everyone to play their part in protecting the nation’s health.
See full message below.
Category: Health
he,s a real go getter that one. blah blah etc.
Cayman was a bit behind the game of implementing smoking legislation,it has been in place in many countries for 20 years or more, but I'll concede things happen slower in the W.Indies and Caribbean nations as a group. That said, warnings or smoking dangers have been around since the 1920's. Big Tobacco as it is known,advertising and social habits & influence are the most to blame for the trouble smokers find themselves in today. The Cayman Governments efforts in alerting the local population about the dangers of smoking may largely fall on deaf ears & blind eyes saddly, as influencing the people to not start in the first place has to happen at a very young age, even then it is a very tough job at hand. I hope all those currently addicted to smoking find a way out and youngsters here never start. The social effects & health costs are astounding.
Too bad he doesn't seem to care as much about passing the Environmental Conservation Law. Having him put up a "NO MANGROVE REMOVAL" sign would make a better photo op.
I agree we need to be proactive with smoke free zones. But please can someone tell the owners of XXXXX Night Club that they are breaking the law by allowing their patrons to remain on the second floor balcony where patrons have to exit the night club in a cloud of smoke in order to access the stairs to go down. Also, isn't this congregating of persons on the upper level where the Exit is located, isn't this a fire hazard and shouldn't the fire dept. be looking into this. IF there was an emergency people would be trampling over each other to get through the maze of persons standing just outside the doorway.
They cant even control the drugs and firearms coming in now. What about running cigarettes as contra ban. Ganja is much cheaper to smoke these days!
If you dont like it then do not enter! Everything can be dangerous in life. Go to a fast food chain everyday for the rest of your life and see what happens.
its 2012!….other people do not have the right to pollute the breathing environment of others…….
Unfortunately I am a smoker who hopes that no one follows in my footsteps.
I just paid $2.00 for a pack of cigerettes in our airport departure lounge that typically cost me $7.00 at the local retail outlets on Island. I wish I could just stop, however reputable university studies have proven that cigerette smoking is harder to kick than heroin addiction. Yes you read that right……… the problem I have is worse that if I was shooting up heroin, cocaine, ganga or rum.
Please do not follow my example. No I do not blame anyone but myself for my addiction although Igrew up in the 60's when cigerette smoking was considered cool, but so was cocaine in the 70's and I did not try that.
I write only to point out the hypocracy of our minister of health Mr. Scotland with this photo op and grand standing. A large portion of the $5.00 difference between what I pay at a duty free store goes directly to my Government who uses cigerette smoking to appear that they really give a shit about my problem of addiction. If they really care about me destroying my health with this addiction they would make cigerettes illegal like they do with heroin, cocaine and ganga.
What irkes me most is that the Minister is lying when he claims that 30% of the display space is used on a warning about the dangers of smoking. I hold a pack of Benson&Hedges in my hand and the warning only takes up 30% of one side of the packet. That represents less than 12% of the space available and all of the other space is used to advertise B&H. The real kicker is that immediately above the warning that says "The Minister of Healyh advises that smoking is dangerous to health" is this tidbit from B&H "The B&H hallmark is your guarantee of the gold standard in smoking pleasure" (nowhere else on the pack, just right above the warning).
Mr. Minister, if as you say, it is illegal to sell cigerettes that do not have 30% of its DISPLAY AREA showing a message that it is dangerous to smoke, why do you not charge the people who sell these with breaking the laws of the Cayman Islands, when they are so blatent in ignoreing the law? Is it because the people selling these are your buddies? Or is it that your Government prefers the income from cigerette "sin tax"?
Come on Mr. Scotland, do you care more about the 'sin tax" income or do you care more about addicts like myself. Why not just ban cigerettes from the Island and make it illegal to sell such an addictive substance as nicotene as is done with the other addictive substances. Addicts like myself will find a way to feed my addiction or quit but at least no one would be smoking in public where it will prehaps encourace othere who have not tried it to give it a try, simply because they see me doing it every day in the presence of the public.
LET NO ONE FOOL ANYONE, THIS S**T IS BAD FOR YOU AND CAYMANIIANS LIKE MYSELF SHOULD NOT BE MADE TO FEEL THAT IF I PAY A HUGE PRECENTAGE OF MY COST TO GOVERNMENT IT IS OK TO SMOKE AS MUCH AS I WANT AS LONG AS IT IS OUTSIDE A BUILDING.
Hope you are able to quit, if you want to. It took several times of 'giving up' then it eventually worked…..after 32 years of smoking. Keep trying.
It is said that after six years, your system is clear of the dreaded toxins, so here it is and look ten years younger:)
Its also strange how in most western countries, ganja is labelled as the gateway drug and held to be worse than the likes of coke, meth and lsd (i.e.US) yet they all have alcohol and cigarettes as a legal substance, BOTH OF WHICH ARE FAR WORSE THAN ANYTHING ELSE PERIOD.
it doesn't matter how much you pay in taxes….you do not have the right to pollute the breathing environment of other people……
Bullshit. Find a different crutch. Has nothing to do with tobacco. You need a vice, pick something less lethal.
I smoked for 2 decades and quit cold turkey. It's not easy or fun, but it helps if you are already temporarily not smoking – ie from your latest bout of chronic brochitis. Try to stretch that malaise sessation out to a week, then two weeks, then three…try not to hangaround the places where you would ordinarily have wanted a smoke. When you think about having a smoke, remember how sick you were. Ask your doctor for help with patch etc. Throw away your lighters and any old cartons. Good luck!
No smoke without fire Mark. That phrase fits so many UDP MLAs now don't it?
Who monitors establishments to make sure they are in compliance with the law? I was at XXXX Wed. night and I can tell you the cigarette smoke inside was so bad I had to leave. Most people inside were smoking.
how about he commits to his colleague for a "no drinking and driving day".
Thats there choice if they want to be employed there. They know the risks. Thats like joining the military ! Yes you can die – but there is no warning label on that advert is there!
Maybe Government needs to focus on all the heavy equipment that billow out smoke as well as some taxi buses and marine craft.. Oh,not to mention noise pollution with the jake brakes.
nonsense…. no one should be expected to work in such dangerous conditions
the question is why are the rules different for cigar bars and regular bars.???…
Because one is a ciger bar and the other isn't. Cigar bars are specifically for cigars! Go figure! I know its dfficult to understand.
And I am pretty darn sure that if you apply to work in a cigar bar that you are aware there is going to be….cigar smoke! So if you choose to work there, a) you dont mind it b) you like cigars or c) you are accutely aware that working in such a place has the possibility of damaging your health.
Now lets use your same logic for those who work in the watersports industry, construction etc and ask if they can all be expected to work in such dangerous conditons when there is a real threat of skin cancer, drowning, falling of a roof which have more chance of happening than getting lung cancer or emphysema……… and others who work in an office where they might get their lips burned by a hot coffee they just made in the kitchen or run pver in the car park.
wow…. that some 1970's logic…. this is 2012, employers are not allowed to put their employeess in dangerous work conditions on purpose………
following your logic…. i could open a construction company tomorrow saying that we don't provide any health and safety and working here is at your own risk……..
doesn't make sense does it???
so can you remind me of the reasons why smoking was banned in normal bars???
you will find that the answer should apply to all workplace enclosed environments….
arguingwith a smoker is like banging you head against a brick wall……
Its a CIGAR BAR you moron, who goes to cigar bars unless they like cigars! Who would work in a cigar bar unless they like cigars?! ITS A CIGAR BAR!!!!
you miss the point completley….. but that's smokers for you……
If there were no cigar bars there would be no cigar bar jobs so if you dont like cigars dont work in a cigar bar and dont go to one
Your comment is utter nonsense.
what about the people who work in cigar bars???
Mandatory Gas Masks!!!