Local Government and Housing Minister Sylvia Masebo says the law has since been put in place to put a stop to smoking in public places.
Briefing the press in Lusaka today, Ms. Masebo explained that government was compelled to issue the local government aforesaid statutory instrument number 39 of 2008 following the continued smoking in public places by persons that have no regard for the comfort of others.
She said the prohibition of smoking in public places had to be given special attention due to its hazardous nature to non smokers, who are forced to be passive smokers.
Ms Masebo said the make Zambia clean and health programme must start with personal hygiene of individuals including stopping from smoking in public places.
She said any person found contravening the regulation will be liable, upon conviction, to a fine or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years.
Ms Masebo has since urged members of the public to abide by the law and enforce it by reporting any person to the police who will be found smoking in public.
She has further implored councils and business houses country wide to designate and stick posters were people are or not allowed to smoke.
Meanwhile, government has increased the subsidies for chiefs by 15 percent for the 286 traditional leaders in the country.
Local Government and Housing Minister, Silvia Masebo said the subsidies have been increased effective 1st January, 2008.
She said the increment was effected following numerous requests from the traditional leaders adding that the 15 percent increment will help them pay back the car loans which government recently bought for them.
“Let me take this opportunity to inform the Royal Highnesses that government has heard their request and appeal to his Excellency the President regarding their subsidies. In this regard, the government has increased their subsidies by 15 percent with effect from 1st January, 2008,” Ms Masebo said.
Good thing really but will this law be obeyed? One needs reminding that peeing in public is actually against the law in Zed. But, do people even see it is breaking the law? I know of a country where they still ring bells to remind customers to get their last drinks when it goes 11 in the night. In Zed they will simply close the doors until the last customer leaves. Blimey!
Thanks, it was long overdue. In the U.S. you cannot smoke in many public places.
we shall wait and see what happens coz the culprits are cops and soldiers.it’s good and needs to be implemented.
Ya ala twapususka…But chachine lets see what happens coz those law enforcement officers are the major culprits.
culprits are the michael sata’s who go outside church during the service at st ignatius to smoke.we’ll see
the most culprit is the own of melisa suppermarket in kabulonga
Here we go another popularist gimmick Sylvia….trying to leave a legacy ha!
Such theatricks hve been tried before love,from when a certain Sata was governer of to when he went to local govt,and what about Nawa,Kawimbe etal
Thing is,enforcement costs money,it’s another ball game altogether,not to mention the ordinary Zambian psyche
It will take a generation to effect any noticable change in our minds,however well meaning your actions may be, Sylvia.
Be remined that litter throwing,spitting,unlicensed bars,under age drinking,unlicensed porn cinemas,vandalism and ofcourse the street vendor that has endured the test of time are all offences occuring right under your cute nose.
#5 (don king), who told u michael sata smokes? he doesnt smoke. r u the only jew… Dont waste ur precious time on pipo who dont smoke. coming back to the main issue. THIS IS VERY GOOD NEWS. OUR CHILDREN ARE SERVED. SMOKERS ARE THE WASTE PIPO WHEREVER U MAYBE. THEY VE NO COURTESY 4 OTHERS. MOST OF THEM I VE SEEN EVEN SMOKE IN THE PRESENCE OF BABIES. SO, THEY DONT REALLY THINK. SOMEONE HAS TO THINK FOR THEM. WELL DONE SYLVIA MASEBO, AND MAKE SURE THE LAW HAS A BRAND NEW SET OF DENTURES.
Mwabeleka basa. The ban couldn’t have come at any better time. I must make mention that I dislike smoking passively.
I will henceforth do my part to ensure that culprits are brought to book.
This is good. But what is meant by “public places” I hope it includes corridors/passages in town or shopping places. Yesterday, town, I was greatly disturbed by cigarrette smoke. The smoker was walking ahead of me and I couldn’t spot him/her so I breathed in the smoke much to my displeasure. Sometimes I would be walking in one of the corridors in town only to have cigarrrette smoke blown in my face by some guy who doesn’t seem to care about the health other people.
I hope the new law will be vigourously enforced.
Alcohol drinking should also be controlled or reinforced if at all there is any law. Though doctors say smoking is bad you find them still smoking badly. The law on smoking should also include not displaying cigarettes in front of the shelves. I hope this will reduce air polution.
Here in the united kingdom people always abide and it’s normal. Even the hospitals are banned and some metres given away from the hospitals where people can smoke. Even the employees of hospitals do comply and one can imagine how cold it becomes at times here in the uk. Public places include places like the market, in the bus, bank, shops, hospitals just to name a few. Zambians need to change their altitude make make this work. Smoking is very bad.
I ve always had this other strategy for detering smokers..Why not increase VAT on cigarrettes by K 8500++ or (2 US dollars) each.That way, we will reduce the number of smokers tremendously coz ,i see no point of them smoking in the first place.Make them understand that smoking is not only harmfull to their health but expensive to keep up.Mind you they will still line up for those free TB drugs when they get sick.Thus in the long run govt expenditure will rise in order to acquire those TB drugs and to as well control future effects of the environment which these smokers are polluting.Lets learn to avoid such unnecesary costs and help improve our GDP.
Stop cigarette smoking and allow Herb culture.
These are copy cat policies. Developed countries have ways of informing their public and the have ways and capabilities of enforcing such policies too. I don’t see Zambia having that kind of culture but its worth trying. I would love to see original ideas generated by our gov’ts not just importing foreign ideas with the hope of them working in Zambia. Some ideas, however good they may seem, might not be the solutions for our country.
14……….i overstand bro cos it is true.The healing of the nation.
This is the best decision ever since LPM came into office in 2001. Smoking must not be allowed in any public place. When I was at Lusaka Airport, inside the building, I was shocked to see people smoking in the restaurant! This was really annoying, but I could only get out and thus the restaurant lost business from me.
i just hope it works i dislike smoking
Bars are also public places, so smoking in bars as well GUYS!!
One blogger indicated our tendancies of being copy cats, because frankly smoking in Zambia is not really done in high proportion we are just copying from developed countries. Secondly what is the relationship bettwen housing and smoking? in all fairness the ministry of health should be at the fore front of the campaign
BRRRR what you forgot to add was developed countries gave options to smokers before the legislation was imposed. for instance restaurants were divided with one side specifically for smokers and the other side for those that dont indulge.Mama Minister just copied from wheereever and imposed without reasoning.
I am not a smoker but just reading thru what the minister is saying i can see serious violations of Human rights. # 21 did put it correctly by saying that options were never looked at when implementing this legislation. For instance when the no public smoking bill was passed in Ireland companies, restaurant etc were given an opportunity to modify their infrastructure so that they could accommodate both smokers and none smokers. I wonder where the minister of health is on all this because this his baby.
The no smoking in public ban has been in effect in RSA for 5 years or so this year it was intensified to include no smoking in your own house if the maid, servant or any one else who does not smoke is in your house. It simply means if you are smoking in your own house and the maid is there she can sue you.
I see alot of flaws in this legislation, it is leaving too much room for lawsuits. This legislation is open ended, it does not define what a publlic place is.Does that include outside on an open ground or an enclosed place. i wish someone from the ministry of health could clarify. By the way why is the minister of housing doing this instead of the one of Health
This should be interesting.
Ba Silvinho mwachita bwino, mubalembele nkalata ba Sata ati fwaka lisambi.
Thanks for the ban.# 22 There should be no smoking at all.Smoking is a health hazard.
Ask Sata he will confirm to you this fact.
#26 We chipuba we suziba ati Sata analeka kale fodya yezefuna kumupaya!
Having started smoking before phones could take photos, I am of the enduring opinion that Sylvia Masebo is merely carrying out her ministerial tasks. Being of a rather elite and educated background, I have no objection – either verbal or written – to this decision. It is my garden boy John, Katongo at City Market and Bozi Boziana in Katondo Street that I volunteer to note, will be a tricky customer in curbing this nuisance of a habit. All the best to the government, at least we can ignore the fact that cancer-sticks are cheaper than beer which causes more road accidents, by my last count, than smoking.
smoking is bad kununka mukamwa kwati matuvi.Stop smoking bane mwachimya.
Bakapokola gwilani mukachipeza chibbema.
Lets charge these chimneys the highest tax possible e.g 7000% just to deter them coz they surely wont smoke i cigarette for K 7000 or more.The problem with us Africans is that we copy anything we see from the whites eg smoking when we dont even know why they started in the first place.ITS JUST EATING OUR LUNGS FOR NOTHING.by they way even 10yr olds are found smoking in Zambia.Go see that for yourself at arcades on saturday..Its pathetic..you just feel like slapping the chaps and where does this come from COPYING coz they think its cool.Charge more on cigarettes or let them try another alternative …INSUNKO…im sure its cool too..
#10 outdoor and in the open is not considered an enclosure. Though it is public this will not be considered a “public place”. “Public places” will mostly be indoor places like bars, restuarants, class, office e.t.c. Me walking down the street and puffing will not be considered a violation.
I think the honorable Minister definitely needs to define “public places”
twachula
#34, i feel for you,Nsimbi zimibendani,Mulekeletu bane!!
What about our tobacco growers, is this not going to deprive them of their income, after all they have to sell the stuff to earn money? They even pay tax to the government on exports. While we are on the subject, Government might as well ban the brewing of illicit drinks like Kachasu, now that, will save a lot of lives in places like Msisi, Kanyama, George, Ng’ombe etc..
#28 iwe anonymous I have been following your blogging and i think ubema fwaka ya chi Ngoni, Just joking. Am off guys, see u tomorrow.
#37 Waenda kuti kapena mukupema INSUKO YA MBUYE WAKO! Dont run away!
Anonymous chiwoneka wabena kale fodya ya Chingoni. Sanchez, BOTSWANA. And my friend, i want to get a third wife, any consultancy you can offer? Which tribe can i go for. I already have a Tonga and a Toka Leya.
Masebo i really applaud you so much. You are such a brilliant lady , very strong and affirmative when making decisions like the one to ban smoking in public. You will go very far in this life and zambia in particular.And If zambia will ever have a Woman president let it be you.And i prophesy that. Be blessed.
#20,21. “Someone said, Prevention is better than cure.” So, whether this is copying or not, it has been long overdue. I really dislike having to smoke passively.
Someone wrote about about TB, this decision could surely help govt. on GDP. TB drugs are expensive and thus we don’t need to recklessly force our GRZ to buy expensive drugs and give them for free when we can control our behaviour.
Let us be responsible and avoid causing innocent people to smoke against their wish.
ya we are heading in the right direction. Why should non-smokers suffer? the law is protecting the health of the “public” everyone.
smokers should be aware not to smoke pa chintu wingi its bad for the health of “everyone”.
so here is another solution for the government if the ban does not work, then impose high tax on cigarrates.
I think its a gud dession.. at last!! its gud 4 our health as zambians
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Can someone help me on the law as I was recently at a local private school in Zambia and noticed parents openly smoking in the school by the childrens dormitories while awaiting to go into assembly and not one word was said by teachers.
The same parents openly smoke on sports day.
Surely there has to be a law to protect the children from second hand smoke but how does this affect a private school as surely it is under different rules from a public place.
Legal advice needed ASAP