Law banning daytime smoking criticized

The Tobacco Control Board (TCB) has rubbished a proposed law that seeks to restrict public smoking to between 6pm and 6am, terming it weak and dangerous.

TCB chairman Peter Odhiambo argued that the proposal to amend the Tobacco Control Act and Regulations had glaring weaknesses and would expose families to dangers of second-hand smoking.

He said a large fraction of the hours between 6pm and 6am are spent at home with family, and so the proposal that one may only smoke between these hours would expose spouses and children to second-hand smoking.

“The hours proposed for smoking are a sure recipe for breaking the law on no smoking in public places,” said Prof Odhiambo.

If implemented, the Bill drafted by Uriri MP John Kobado would see convicted offenders liable to a fine not exceeding Sh100,000 or imprisonment not exceeding one year, or both.

The Bill also proposes to levy Sh150 million to be paid by all tobacco manufacturers to a centralised fund to share the cost of treating cancer patients and mitigate other destructive effects caused by tobacco.

Odhiambo, however, said this falls far short of the much bigger challenge of dealing with the damages caused by the farming, trading and consumption of tobacco.

“Without even mentioning profits which the tobacco industry reaps and repatriates from Kenya, the damages of tobacco are enough to consume a huge chunk of the national budget in the effort to offset them,” he said.

He cited food insecurity, environmental and soil degradation, water pollution, mental incapacitation, insecurity and graduation to other drugs as well as health and rehabilitation issues as some of the effects of tobacco.