[Intl-tobacco] South Africa: Government Clampdown on Smoking Mooted

[Robert Weissman]

http://www.businessday.co.za/bday/content/direct/1,3523,1459837-6080-0,00.html

Business Day
October 16, 2003

Government Clampdown on Smoking Mooted

The Department of Health has released details of a bill that seeks to
dramatically increase fines under the anti-smoking legislation.
The fine for any person who fails to control smoking on their premises
is to go up from R200 to R20,000 for a first offence and R100,000 for a
second.
The measure is expected to affect restaurant and bar owners in
particular, many of whom have been openly flouting the law.
The increase, the department said in a media release, was intended "to
get proprietors of public places to treat the law with greater respect".

The department said the bill, to be published in Friday's Government
Gazette, would bring the existing Tobacco Products Control Act into line
with the international Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which
South Africa signed in June.
The bill would also make the act more effective by closing loopholes.
It proposed larger health messages on cigarette packs, including picture
messages, and a ban on "false" descriptions of tobacco products such as
"low tar", "light" and "mild".
It also proposed to prohibit the presence of any person under 18 in a
designated smoking area in a public place, to increase the minimum age
for tobacco sales from 16 to 18 years, and ban the duty-free sale of
cigarettes.
The bill will be published for a month of public comment before being
submitted to parliament.
Sapa