Tobacco.org

Signalling No Smoking  

In distributing 'No Smoking' signs to local businesses this week, a volunteer group headed by the Public Health Department has literally put the writing on the wall regarding smoking in public places.

The drive sought wider compliance with the Tobacco Law ( 2008 ) which requires prominently-displayed 'No Smoking' signs to be mounted in all public places. These include beauty salons and barber shops, laundromats, enclosed bars, restaurants and pool halls, as well as shops, shopping centres, restrooms and transportation terminals.

Some 16 Public Health staff and Cayman Islands Cancer Society volunteers distributed about 150 signs in observation of World No Tobacco Day ( 31 May ).

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People urged to quit smoking 

The country's health minister called on the community to stop smoking, Tuesday in a message to observe World No Tobacco Day. Mark Scotland said that today is a good day to quit. "If you know someone who smokes, encourage them to put it out for good, because everyone deserves a smoke-free environment," he said. The message comes in the wake of news from the National Drug Council that more young people than ever before have admitted to smoking in its latest student drug survey. Despite now having comprehensive anti-smoking legislation in place the survey found the number of kids admitting to smoking has doubled.

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• Survey reveals steep increase in kids’ smoking  

Despite trends in the developed world of a reduction in tobacco consumption by adults, teens are smoking more and that seems to be the case here in Cayman. According to the results of the latest student survey by the NDC, among grade 7-12 students the number of younfg people admitting to smoking has doubled. 14.4% of kids said that they had smoked a cigarette sometime in the year before the survey compared to less than 7% of the students that admitting smoking tobacco in the NDC’s 2006 survey. Almost 14% of Year 12 students admitted smoking in the last month. Despite the well documented dangers of smoking, 9% of kids said they did not think smoking one pack or more a day posed any risk.

The Cayman Islands Students Drug Use Survey (CISDUS) also indicated that despite the introduction of the tobacco law, which included a ban on promotion of cigarettes, vending machines, split packet sales, restrictions on where people can smoke and which made it illegal for people to sell tobacco to anyone under the age of 18, kids found getting hold of cigarettes very easy.

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FERREIRA: Women focus of No Tobacco Day 

Although National Drug Council statistics confirm that women are still less likely to smoke than men, we cannot afford complacency and I therefore urge everyone to join the no smoking campaign. We must continue to support those who want to quit, but even more importantly, we have to actively discourage people, especially our teenagers, from even starting. . . .

In Cayman, the enactment of our Tobacco Law has taken us a great step forward and I thank local businesses for adhering to it. I also commend other local efforts to reduce the smoking habit, such as the Cayman Islands Cancer Society's free Quit Smoking Programme.

Let's all use this World No Tobacco Day to support and enhance these efforts, making Cayman a healthier, smoke-free place.

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VIDEO: World No Tobacco Day 

Today (31 May) is World No Tobacco Day and many non-smokers living in the Cayman Islands have reason to celebrate now that the smoking law that bans lighting up in public places such as restaurants and bars.

The law has been in effect for about 6-months.

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LETTER: Tobacco Law isn’t enforceable 

It is very interesting to read the editorial to which I'm responding in a recent Caymanian Compass.

In June, 2008, I had a letter published in this newspaper titled 'Shore up security law'.

Any interested reader can archive this letter and there is no need to repeat here what was published but the gist of the letter was a warning that the Tobacco Law would be nigh impossible to enforce without a full upgrading of the private security system under another new law, the Private Security Law 2007. . . .

The Tobacco Law is seen as the brainchild of certain expatriate special interest groups, whether this perception is fair or not but the lack of canvassing the entire community for its input now has a law that does not have the support of the entire community and will prove extremely difficult to enforce, despite its well-meaning and universal health benefits.

These two laws are interrelated in all countries that have accepted smoking ban laws and the need for improved private security services but have been undermined by their public perception.

If the CI Government wants to make these laws work for the benefit of the community, they have their work cut out to change that perception.

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No Smoking signs begin to appear on New Year's Eve 

Midnight Thursday, 31 December, ends not only the year 2009, but also the rights of cigarette smokers to light up indoors in public places. A number of "No Smoking" signs will need to be in place to inform the public, according to officials of the Cayman Islands Tourist Association.

It is the responsibility of the businesses, vendors and public conveyances to have proper signs printed and posted prior to the deadline this week. If businesses choose to have an outdoor seating area that allows smoking in addition to a non-smoking area, the smoking area will need to be clearly marked and located a minimum of 10 feet from the non-smoking area.

Signs for tobacco dealers must include the health warning that "tobacco is dangerous to your health" and should measure no less than 8.5" high and 14" wide with the message in capital, black or white letters against a red background. Vendors must additionally post a sign that states "sales to minors are prohibited"

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Smoking ban starts New Year’s Eve 

The new Tobacco Law takes effect from midnight Thursday, meaning New Year's Eve will the first smoke-free day in public venues.

People caught smoking in enclosed public places face a first-time fine of $2,000 and up to $10,000 for subsequent offences, while business owners can be fined $15,000 and jailed for 12 months for not enforcing the smoking ban on their premises. They also face up a fine of up to $30,000 for a subsequent offence. . . .

The Law defines "'enclosed" as a premises having a full or partial roof and where the sides are at least 50 per cent covered with walls, windows, blinds or curtains.

The Public Health Department, with the Chamber of Commerce, Cancer Society and the Cayman Islands Tourism Association, developed sample signs for tobacco dealers and restaurants and bars.

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• New Year tobacco ban to provide smoke free air  

It may have been almost a decade in the making but at long last government is enforcing legislation which stops the use of tobacco in enclosed public areas and creates smoke free air in enclosed public areas. One of the key provisions of the Cayman Islands' Tobacco Law, 2008 is that all public places will be smoke-free from 31 December 2009. Legislated smoke-free areas include enclosed bars, restaurants and pool halls, parks, any commercial transport, public toilets and public transportation terminals (e.g. the cruise terminals) and all shops and shopping centres.

A disappointment to anti-tobacco activists and health campaigners, however, the law does allow for designated smoking areas in open air bars and restaurants. . . .

Despite the fact that the legislation has been in place for well over a year business owners are still being given time to comply with the Law. The Public Health Department, in conjunction with the Chamber of Commerce, Cancer Society and the Cayman Islands Tourism Association (CITA), has developed sample signs for tobacco dealers and restaurants and bars. Officials have also met with members from the business community to explain the new legislation and its impact on businesses.

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LETTER: New Tobacco Law welcomed 

I applaud the implementation of the new Tobacco Law. I hope that any changes make it stricter and not more lenient.

I like the idea that it prohibits smoking within 10 feet of a place even if it means that smokers have to go out on the road.

No one wants to smell cigarette smoke, especially if it's in an area where there are children around.

I hope this applies to the airport as well because I've had to ask people to please put out their cigarettes or move because I'm sitting their with my young children waiting for someone to come out of the Customs area and they sit next to us and light up a cigarette.

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• Grace period for tobacco sellers 

Sellers of cigarettes and other tobacco products are likely to be given a 10-month grace period to stock up on packaging with required health warnings and display signage, the Ministry of Health has confirmed.

The new Tobacco Law comes into force on 31 December, banning smoking in public places, bars and offices.

Under the new law, cigarettes must carry large graphic health warnings and signage outlining the dangers of smoking must be erected at points of sale in stores and outlet.

Minister Mark Scotland said the ministry had initially envisioned a timeframe of 1 May next year for tobacco dealers to fully comply with display and packaging requirements and for cigar bars to install required ventilation systems, but was aware that they may have difficulty meeting this deadline.

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Education campaign for Tobacco Law 

During a press conference Leader of Government Business McKeeva Bush reiterated Tobacco Law passed in October 2008 would finally take effect by the end of the year, and that public education campaign will be launched late November or early December.

"While regrettable, this delay will allow us to get it right and does have the added benefit that residents and businesses now have ample time to get to know the provisions of the Law before it comes into effect," Mr Bush said.

"We hope to see the regulations finalised and approved within a few weeks, after which public health officials will start a public education campaign that will include town hall-style stakeholder meetings," he said Mr Bush said that the delay in the Tobacco Law which is being pushed back to 31 December 2009, would allow the government the time needed to get it right.

"We want to assure business owners that they will have access to all the necessary information, so they can be compliant with the Law," Mr Bush explained.

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• Tobacco Law date: 31 Dec. 

Cayman Islands lawmakers have set a new date for the implementation of a smoking ban in bars and restaurants after deciding a 30 October deadline could simply not be met.

The new date, set out in a legal amendment to the Tobacco Law (Commencement) Order, 2009 will be 31 December.

Health Minister Mark Scotland had earlier vowed to have the smoking ban in effect "no later than that date" and said the current government fully intended to implement and enforce the smoking ban.

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Today’s Editorial October 23: Tobacco Law dead again 

We hate to say we told you so, but...

Implementation of the Tobacco Law won't happen at the end of this month as promised by the previous government. . . .

Under the former government, the Ministry of Health and Human Services said there was no point in bringing the Tobacco Law into effect if it can't be enforced.

We disagree. There are many laws on the books of the Cayman Islands that have no enforcement or procedure regulations.

Yes, there is some fine tuning to regulations that must be done, but the law needs to be implemented. . . .

Mr. McKeeva Bush is a man of his word and as such we expect to see the tobacco law regulations implemented soon and the Tobacco Law to become real under his leadership sooner rather than later.

Yes, the country is faced with many other important issues at the present that require much of Government's attention, but this legislation has the potential to help save lives. It must be implemented.

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Tobacco Law delayed again 

Caymanian smokers can rest easy. The anti tobacco law is going to miss yet another deadline.

Required regulations will not be ready to meet the 30 October deadline to fully implement the Tobacco Law, making it the second delay since the law was passed one year ago.

Government missed a deadline of 31 May, which was set by the previous government, to coincide with World No Tobacco Day.

Just 11 days prior to the 31 May deadline a new Government was voted in and Mark Scotland took the helm as Health Minister.

Despite the fact that there was a 60day consultation period, a Chamber of Commerce luncheon and other forums seeking input on the Tobacco Law, Mr. Scotland said the regulations just aren't ready. . . .

Once the regulations are in effect, the law will ban smoking in bars, restaurants and places of collective use.

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