?Health Minister Jerry Narace says tobacco is one of the most serious public health threats in T&T.
He said so while presenting the Tobacco Control Bill 2009 in the Senate yesterday. "The tobacco epidemic, as it is referred to by the World Health Organisation (WHO), has penetrated T&T and now constitutes not only a public health problem but also a societal problem in our country," Narace told legislators. He said more deaths were caused each year by tobacco than by tuberculosis, Aids and malaria combined. "In T&T, smoking is indeed an epidemic, as it is directly related with the region's biggest killer, chronic non-communicable diseases," Narace stressed. He said the bill could help protect families from the destructive nature of disease and death and preserve the workforce. Narace gave statistics to show that one in every 18 students were smoking in T&T.
He said the average of someone smoking his first cigarette was 12 years. He said the most favourite place where cigarettes were often smoked was at the individual's home. Narace said his Government was committed to initiate smoking-cessation programmes in T&T. He said a smoking-cessation committee already has been established and is pursuing the establishment of a smoke�cessation service. "Not only will we prevent future generations from smoking, Mr President, but we will also help current smokers quit," Narace added. He said Clause 19 (1) of the bill provides that no person shall initiate, produce, publish, engage or participate in any tobacco advertising, promotion or sponsorship. He added that Clause 19 (2) of the bill allowed for limited advertising. Narace said the legislation is strongly supported by the medical community and many NGO's (Non-Government Organisations) and interest groups in T&T.
He said the bill was the first legislative step to prevent hundreds of thousands of lives from disease, disability and premature death, as a result of the direct and indirect effects of tobacco.
According to Narace, the legislation has seven major objectives:
�2 To prevent tobacco use by children;
�2 to regulate tobacco by individuals;
�2 to enhance public awareness of the hazards of tobacco use and ensure that individuals are provided with information to make fully informed decisions about using tobacco;
�2 to protect individuals from exposure to tobacco smoke;
�2 to prohibit and restrict tobacco promotional practices;
�2 to prevent smuggling of tobacco; and,
�2 to provide for other related matters.
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?Narace quoted a ten-year community survey by the St James Cardiovascular Survey which showed that current smokers comprised:
n 39.4 per cent men of African descent;
n 46.1 per cent men of East Indian descent;
n 39.9 per cent men of mixed descent; and,
n 36 per cent men of European descent.
Heavy smoking (more than 20 cigarettes a day):
�2 17.1 per cent men of African descent;
�2 23.9 per cent men of East Indian descent;
�2 17.2 per cent men of mixed descent; and,
�2 26.3 per cent men of European descent
Narace said, "Current women smokers comprised less than 10 per cent and heavy smokers comprised less than two per cent, except in European women."
