Tabling of S. Africa Tobacco Bill Welcomed (fwd)

[Robert Weissman <rob@essential.org>]

TAG WELCOMES TABLING OF TOBACCO BILL

CAPE TOWN September 1 1998 Sapa

     The Tobacco Action Group (TAG) on Tuesday welcomed the tabling of the
draft Tobacco Products Control
     Amendment Bill in Parliament on Monday. 

     The bill would make a significant contribution to public health in
South Africa and protect consumer rights, TAG
     spokesman Dr Yussuf Saloojee said in a statement. 

     "It will shield children from multi-million rand advertising campaigns
designed to get teenagers to think that
     smoking is cool and smart, and not a deadly addiction." 

     The bill would also ensure the right of non-smokers to a clean
environment, unpolluted by tobacco smoke, he
     said. 

     "The measures proposed in the bill are supported by both the WHO (World
Health Organisation) and the
     World Bank, indicating that they are prudent in both health and in
economic terms. 

     "The tobacco industry argues that smoking is a matter of personal
choice; we agree. 

     "Two out of three South Africans have chosen not to smoke, yet they are
forced to inhale tobacco smoke
     against their will at work and in public places." 

     By requiring clearly-demarcated smoking and non-smoking areas in public
places, the bill would guarantee the
     public's constitutional right to a healthy environment, Saloojee said. 

     Earlier on Tuesday, National Assembly health committee chairman Dr Abe
Nkomo said the parliamentary public
     hearings on the draft legislation were set for September 22. 

     The cut-off date for written submissions to the committee on the bill
was September 21. Nkomo also invited
     applications to give oral evidence. 

     "The committee is fully committed to an inclusive, accessible and
transparent process of legislative analysis," he
     said. 

     The committee intended to have the bill ready for the National Assembly
to vote on by the first week of
     November, "but we must have due regard to the processes of
participatory democracy", he said. 

                                 

source: gopher://gopher.anc.org.za/00/anc/newsbrief/1998/news0902 
processed Wed 2 Sep 1998 09:56 SAST.