THE Zambia Consumers Association (ZACA) has reiterated its call on government to enact and regulate a comprehensive, effective and enforceable law on smoking in public places .
The organisation further said government should ban tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship in order to protect people from the devastating effects of tobacco consumption.
ZACA program manager Micheal Musenga said this would be the best way of protecting the current and future generations from devastating health, social, environmental and economic consequences of tobacco consumption and exposure to the usage of tobacco.
Mr.Musenga said that government must strengthen the national coordination by putting in place a national plan of action on tobacco control with a fully function secretariat if the present and future generations is to be protected.
Government passed the statutory instrument number 39, local government regulations of the year 2008 on prohibiting smoking of tobacco in public places and statutory instrument number 63 under ministry of health regulations of 1992 on tobacco control.
Mr. Musenga said that such measures were providing protection from exposure to second hand tobacco smoke in indoor work places, public transport, indoor public places and any other appropriate public places.
Mr.Musenga told ZANIS in a press statement in Monze that the enforcement of the law would send a very clear message to the public that the Zambian government was committed to tobacco control.
“The enforcement of the law to ban smoking in public places would trigger an enforcement arena which would inevitably extend the enforcement of the comprehensive tobacco law once enacted,” he said..
He said that tobacco smoking had been a well established cause of a very significant number of deaths and disabilities the world over.
Mr.Musenga said that hundreds of thousands of people who had never smoked had been dying every year from diseases caused by breathing second hand tobacco smoke.
He explained that the effects of exposure to second hand tobacco smoke is irreversible and in most cases impacts appear later in life such as cancer, chest diseases, heart diseases and other serious health conditions.
Mr.Musenga said that there was a strong link between advertisement and smoking in young people as tobacco companies were marketing their products wherever young consumers could easily be accessed such as movies, the internet, in fashion magazines, ceremonies and other functions.
He said that due to the strong link between advertisement and smoking,government must consider enacting a ban and regulating measures on advertising of tobacco, promotion and sponsorship.
i feel the ban they should enforce is of stopping people from smoking in public places. and there should be a clear understanding of what a public place is. banning cigarettes adverts and smoking as a whole will not happen. lets be realistic!!!
signed: Non Smoker
Especially SATA . Smokes alot
Fifaka pansee!
Iwe #2 Sichupiti lyobe have respect to the elders! Are the only jew dont you know that the presdo stop smoking long time ago!
Minister Liato should get 5 tips from this page’s advert to get flat stomach . His Belly is too Fat bcoz of eating too much junkie foods especial soya foods!
Its really sad that our laws are so weak…..please lets be serious and enforce it, people are still smoking in public places which is really not healthy.
Lets take responsibility for our conducts either at home or in public.Smoking in front of kids or adults is just not it,there is Cancer ka.
Mune # 2, wherever you are Israel or wherever, BAKATEKA Ba SATA Balileka fifwaka mune.
Imwe bankusa, ngabalesha ka gwai abanenu inchito shikapwa ala. You don’t know that your friends emo balila nabo. Ngashapwa inchito abanenu mukabasunga? mu lifisushi ala ba kwindi imwe fintufyenu.
Fwaka is harmful.Ask Sata.Meanwhile balateka ba shikulu.
Tobacco is one of Zambia’s principle exports and the taxes raised from this industry is enornous. It will be therefore interesting to see if a ban on advertising etc can be fully implemented
cnt’d. and what repercussions that will have on the economy
Iwe chi #8 MUSULA OBE ukalapepa ichintu chobe! Elyo ukalefumya amasushi yeka yeka ati ichushi!
ala bane #12 muleke fyaka wakashanga. thats why mumutwe wenu mwafulafye impele na masushi yachiwa. you dont know that when you barn ciga your friends will safer. Chupiti, waba…. nama …s. Uletekaya.
Ask Sata.It has changed his complexion from Dark n lovely to “tar”.The old skinbag tried to quit but developed withdrawal symptoms,vomiting n lose of appetite.Now he smokes in backrooms away from the Post journalist.
Sata prezdo?never!not in this life!So #4 n #7 u can go to hell with yo nicotine addicted candidate n stay there!
Iwe #2 uleichindika ngaulenya, ukulandalanda namu toilet, SATA never used to smoke in public and he stopped a long time, why dragging him on this blog.
its about time that this ban was effectively enforced because nothing much has changed since the ban was announced..in fact most people laughed it off…maybe once chaps are actually arrested the whole thing would be taken seriously…ba mambala ba mishanga smoker mwapya!!
Why is it everyone who feels like insulting or use bad language uses Bemba? Is true then that Bembas are crooks? Because what I have seen here really confirms this FACT. So careful, think twice before you vote someone from this side of the Country. Think about your children going up in a such an environment!
Agony is:
When ur so desparate to be in plot1 but time is not on yo side,and the voters are scared of yo personality while yo best MPs are fighting u!
Whatever is done, smoking will always remain harmful and Zedians will always smoke whether in public or in private chambers. Maybe Zambia can just be a Tobacco exporting country and all packs to be clearly labeled NOT FOR SALE IN ZAMBIA. But from how I know Zambians, we can never stop smoking even in public. Let alone the Chaamba
Iwe #13 chi heavy smoker when your john-solya ubwali starts getting rotten and producing ifikushi instead of sperms bcoz heavy smokering elyo ukasensela ilyo kawa. Lobe, dont say you were not warned!
#17 I was born and brought up on the copperbelt so i speak bemba,but am not bemba,so your analysis is rubish my man.
#17, You dont know that there are so many languages which are similar, like LAMBA, LALA,KUNDA,BISA, BEMBA,SWAKA AND OTHERS HAVE WORDS you could think its Bemba one is speaking.
#17 give us a break i wont even bother to comment further.please lets contribute positively lets stick to the topic people are straying and its getting irritating when you read something which is totally out of context. remember we are looking at the smoking ban issue.
you should also ban sex as well.
1)sometimes i begin to wonder why some one cant speak or write without mentioning Sata!Even where one can aviod, they stil do so,is it really worth? If i dont like someone,i cant keep on mentioning that person.
(2)The issue of insulting each other,is it part of our new culture? Lets talk without insults otherwise we gain nothing but inflict pain on each other!
3)Let us learn to respect each other then we shall be happy with each other. (However,this is my humble requist/ opinoin)God bless you all.
u people r funny! they not asking people to stop smoking they just dont want them to smoke in public period! insele for what! they have explained plain and smple..this aint rocket science!..
IWE #17 ULETUTENDEKA NGATWAKUTUKA DONT COMPLAIN!! WABE T.
#21 n #22 what #17 potential is saying is that all the foul language on this blog is in a dialect that is generally known as bemba,not about the mother tongue of the pepetrator.U seem to be defending these bloggers who want to turn this forum into a beerhall full of uncouth characters instead of a platform to exchange ideas!
If you smoke in my presence I will smoke you! How about enforcing the law of burning rubbish muma yardi. Tuma new garden boys think they will be paid more by burning stuff all the time ata ata! will call ba environmental council wafwa all of you who support!
#17 I find yo comments offesive and totally devoid of reasoning. As a proud son of Mufulira who speaks Bemba, I feel yo generallising anyone who speaks or uses the language as coming ‘from this side of the country’shows the depth of yo ignorance. A lot of pipo use Bemba coz its easier to communicate, period. Wilandapo nakabili pantu ndefulwa, now lets go back to topic at hand.
The sooner serious attention is given to this well meaning enactment the better in order to protect innocent pipo from the far reaching effects of passive smoking
The government should also find ways be curb the rampant smoking among young teenagers which is on the rise. If this is not seriously looked into we risk have a future generation of less and less educated pipo bt a society full of pipo with all sorts of health complications.
#17 u are absolutely right, phaack the bembas, bafikamba have ruined our country, i too was brought up on the copperbelt, in Ndola and Kitwe, but i have realised that while the Lozis and tongas and other good indeginous zambians have stood by these northerners talk so much rubbish and we let them talk, now they think they are prominent, after 2010…. no more Northerners or easterners in govt…. im getting mad just thinking about them ba SATA-NYOKO
Iwe chi #17, it not all who speak or insult in bemba who are bembas, pipo use that language coz they what to show they are also clever like bembas
Sata should lead by example, please.
Bo LTA wrong flag, please command your server to my beautiful mother Zed flag, na kupa
Hear! Hear! #17 and #32. These chaps from the north have dragged Zambia into what it is today- sixth poorest nation in the world. We’re next to Sudan. Look are the list of convicted plunderers; Katele, Chungu, Kabwe, Musonda, – the list is endless They’re not only thieves, they insult as well.
#36 – where have you been we needed you, these guys even have the decncy to tell us to come back home becuase Zambia is now a better country, bloody fools like we cant see for ourselves whats happening, they want us to come home and then tax us heavily on any items we bring with us and then milk us for any lil savings we have. I am not going to stand by anymore i am going to call them out!
Iam currently visiting in Zambia and I have been disgusted to see the level of smoking rihgt outside the coffee shop at Arcades.I actually confronted one of the smokers to stop smoking,suprisingly this gentleman who appeared to be Lebanese argued back.
I suggest that the goverment should enforce these laws by penalizing the owners of the business as well as the atual culprits.They must provide a task force with numbers where people can call to lodge in complaints.
Chengelo, walipata ababamba, Im not bemba but ninkumwenamo.
You Bemba goonks. Whatever you have seen in Sata. You are thiefs and the worst tribalists. Mwanya, the East will rule.
I think we can agree that majority of the country see the bembas as thieves and the worst tribalists…. somoene in london keeps saying they are not bemba…then what are you??? dont be ashamed, see how the bulls lift their heads high, even if HH looses im a Bull for life
Last time me smoke me spliff in public, a civilian policeman trail I and ask me weh me get it from. Me tell him seh me have a home garden full of sensimilla. Watch me! De man come fi check I and we a smoke together regular.
Here is the definition of public place;
A public space refers to an area or place that is open and accessible to all citizens, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, age or socio-economic level.
smoking is bad to your health
smoking is bad but were do you want us to be going to smoke,you want us to be going in the tiolet,but why.
#45 what on earth is a “tiolet”?