Tobacco council to be established

– Educational programme on legislation for 2019

– As ministry sets out to fully effect tobacco control Act

DPI, Guyana, Friday, December 14, 2018

Come 2019, the Ministry of Public Health will establish the Tobacco Council. The Ministry will also embark on an intensified effort to educate the local populace on penalties in the legislation.

This was announced by Minister of Public Health Volda Lawrence, in response to questions posed by Opposition Member of Parliament, Dr. Frank Anthony in the Parliamentary Committee of Supply, yesterday.

Dr. Anthony queried when was the Tobacco Council slated to be established and whether any persons were charged since the legalization of the Tobacco Control Bill.

With regards to the Tobacco Council, the minister informed that the terms-of-reference document is still being crafted but is expected to be presented to Cabinet for approval before the end of this year.

With this approval, the council could be established as soon as January 2019.

In response to the second question, the minister said that no one has been charged since the bill became law in 2017. She pointed out that the ministry will engage sections of society on what they need to know about the piece of legislation so as to not fall on the wrong side of the law.

‘We did say that we are going to start an educational programme so that we can educate persons on the legislation and then we will set a time frame as to when we will begin to institute penalties for the legislation.”

Delicia Haynes

Images: Keno George