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"id": 234598,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/234598/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Wetangula",
"speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs",
"speaker": {
"id": 210,
"legal_name": "Moses Masika Wetangula",
"slug": "moses-wetangula"
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"content": "This is a dangerous trend. I can see hon. Sungu nodding and smiling. As the engineer of the original idea on this Bill, I hope he will introduce some amendments to the Bill at the Committee Stage to make sure that we do not leave any loose ends. I want to advocate here that smoking in all public places should be outlawed completely. There is no justification in going to a hotel or a restaurant and you are shown different sitting places for smokers and non-smokers. This is because smoke from the other side circulates throughout the same room. That is what I call \"involuntary smoking\". It does not matter whether the smoker is seated where my good friend, hon. Ahenda, is from where I am. The smoke will circulate in the room. As people say when they promote AIDS awareness, you are either infected or affected. You are either smoking or somebody is smoking for you. We should stop this habit altogether. You have lived in USA, where winter sometimes becomes very harsh. In Canada, when the temperature is -40 degrees, you see somebody standing in a street corner holding a cigarette. This is because he cannot smoke in any building or corridors of buildings. This is geared towards protecting involuntary smokers. If you want to smoke you should go to Uhuru Gardens or Uhuru Park. Eventually, we will see you running out of Uhuru Park, because of the hazards that cigarette 3722 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES November 15, 2006 smoking carries. The Bill deals with involuntary smokers, as I have said. I think the Minister may have made a serious omission. She has listed, under Clause 29(2) places where smoking is banned. She has not listed any workplaces, especially factories. She has listed cinemas, health institutions, restaurants and hotels, public service vehicles, aircraft, passenger ships and trains, education facilities and public buildings. I think she has to add to this list workplaces such as factories. In that way, when anyone of us is working in factories, they will not have somebody, simply because he owns the factory, blowing smoke all over because his behaviour is not covered under this Bill. Clause 30 provides for display of anti-smoking signs to be limited to English and Kiswahili languages. I want Clause 31 to cover English, Kiswahili or any other language. Sometimes, when I drive through Kisumu, I see an advertisements like Ayaki Chira. The people who live there understand what that means. When you are talking of death you must describe death in every conceivable language, whether English, Kiswahili, Dholuo, Kisii, Kikuyu or Kikamba. The people will understand signs better when the warnings are in their first language. English and Kiswahili are not the first languages of many people in this country. So, we should enlarge that clause so that we provide for other languages as well. On the whole, when you look at the Schedule on page 625, you will see that the Ministry says \"the following health messages shall be displayed on every package containing a tobacco product, sign or advertisement stipulated under the provisions of this Act: tobacco harms people next to you, that is involuntary smokers; tobacco use kills; tobacco harms your unborn baby; tobacco use causes cancer; tobacco use causes lung diseases; tobacco use is addictive; this product can cause gum disease and tooth loss; this product includes smokeless tobacco products; this product can cause mouth cancer; this product is not a safe alternative to cigarettes\" If the Ministry of Health can acknowledge all these dangers of smoking, then why are we talking of regulation and not banning? All these diseases are as a result of tobacco smoking: lung caner, mouth cancer, heart diseases and cause harm to the unborn baby. I want to conclude by once again congratulating hon. Sungu and the Minister for Health for bringing this Bill. I want to urge the Minister for Health to work hand in hand with the Ministry of Agriculture and that of Planning and National Development to assist in areas where tobacco growing is the mainstay. Our people should be enabled to grow alternative crops to tobacco, so that they can continue earning their living without endangering their health. If we can do that, it will be wonderful. I also to urge that the fine provided in this Bill, especially on those who manufacture, promote and sell cigarettes, of Kshs500,000 be increased. This is because it is grossly inadequate. The Minister and hon. Sungu must address this. In law, if you want to punish, the punishment must provide a deterrent. If the punishment makes people say \"It is better than I thought\" then that is not a punishment. That is just a joke. The law on narcotics provides that those who are found with narcotics either face a life sentence or fines of millions of shillings. In China, you are sentenced to death. If you fly to Singapore, as you land at their airport, you will see a sign larger than the airport itself telling you that if you come into this country with drugs you will be sentenced to death and be put to death. We all know about the graduation from cigarettes to marijuana to ganja and other drugs. By dealing with this problem today, we are arresting a worse situation for tomorrow, especially for growing children. With those very few remarks, I beg to second."
}