Ekiti State Government has commenced the enforcement of its Prohibition of Smoking Law (2012) with a public presentation of rules regulating smoking in public places. Presenting the Prohibition of Smoking in Public Places Rules in Ado Ekiti, the State Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Eniola Ajayi stressed that the law was not enacted to punish smokers but to protect non-smokers from tobacco fumes and its attendant diseases.
Dr. Ajayi said that employers of labour as well as managements of hotels and other public places have been mandated to provide designated areas for smoking that would either be totally or partially enclosed. The Commissioner emphasized that a sign with “SMOKING OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS IS HARMFUL TO YOUR HEALTH AND TO THE HEALTH OF OTHERS AROUND YOU” written in black ink on white background must be conspicuously displayed by the entrance of such exclusively designated smoking areas.
She added that a similar sign must also be noticeably displayed inside the smoking areas to sensitize relevant stakeholders of the inherent danger in smoking for not only the smokers but also all the people in the area that would inadvertently inhale the pervading smoke. In his remarks, the Managing Director of a non-governmental organization, New Initiative for Social Development (NISD), Mr. Biodun Oyeleye commended that state government for the initiative. Mr. Oyeleye said his organization would support all efforts at ensuring a successful implementation of the law. A Consultant, Barrister Michael Olaniyan noted that proper sensitization and implementation of the prohibition law would protect the people from tobacco smoking related diseases such as tooth decay, cancer, heart diseases, ulcer, miscarriage and deformed spermatozoa among others.
Last modified: August 13, 2014
