Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon. Olivia Grange, is reminding Jamaicans attending the 54th staging of Grand Gala at the National Stadium on Saturday, August 6, that no smoking will be allowed. Addressing a Jamaica Information Service (JIS) ‘Think Tank’ recently, the Minister said the ban on smoking in public places still exists and this will be enforced....

Students from schools across the island benefited from an informative, eye-opening Anti-Tobacco Youth Forum staged by the Jamaica Cancer Society (JCS) on Wednesday, March 2, at the Courtleigh Auditorium in New Kingston. The event included video and audiovisual presentations, and talks from representatives from the Ministry of Health; National Chest Hospital; National Council on Drug Abuse (NCDA); Heart Foundation of Jamaica;...

The Ministry of Health will continue to highlight the restriction on smoking in public places, as the rights of non-smokers must not be infringed. This was emphasised by Legal Officer in the Ministry, Sheryl Dennis, at a JIS ‘Think Tank’, today (May 27), as the country prepares to observe World No Tobacco Day on May 31 under the theme: ‘Stop...

The House of Representatives has approved amendments to the regulations governing the ban on smoking in public places, which were recommended by the Human Resource and Social Development Committee of Parliament. A report from the Committee was submitted to the Lower House for debate and approval, on January 28. In his contribution to the debate, Minister of Health, Hon. Dr....

Minister of Finance and the Planning, Hon. Dr. Peter Phillips, says the Government’s revenue target for this fiscal year will not be altered. He was responding to a question submitted by Opposition Spokesman, Audley Shaw, in the House of Representatives on July 30, as to whether the ban on smoking in specified spaces would impact sales, and by extension the...

Cigarette smokers are some of the most loyal customers in the world and it is this loyalty that is killing them by the millions annually. In pushing the no smoking ban in public places, Health Minister, Hon. Dr. Fenton Ferguson, often points out that “the tobacco industry is the only industry I know that kills its best and most loyal...

Health Minister, Hon. Dr. Fenton Ferguson, says he is willing to look at the possibility of allowing businesses, especially in the tourist industry, to have a special area outdoors to facilitate smokers. The Minister, who was speaking on the Jamaica Information Service (JIS) programme, ‘Issues and Answers’, on July 18, was clear about not allowing smoking rooms. “The evidence is...

The Ministry of Health is giving business operators a period of six months to post ‘No Smoking’ signs, in compliance with the Public Health (Tobacco Regulations) 2013, which ban smoking in public places. The legislation took effect on July 15. Speaking at a JIS ‘Think Tank’, on July 16, Legal Officer at the Ministry of Health (MOH), Sheryl Dennis, emphasized...

Health Minister, Hon. Dr. Fenton Ferguson, has again turned down the suggestion that Government should allow the establishment of smoking areas in business places, describing such areas as “death chambers”. Dr. Ferguson further informed that the Public Health (Tobacco Control) Regulations 2013 do not allow for the establishment of such spaces. “My answer to that is absolutely not. We cannot...

As of Monday, July 15, smoking in public places will be banned, Minister of Health, Hon. Dr. Fenton Ferguson, announced on June 25. “Come July 15, no longer will our workers and children have to involuntarily inhale tobacco smoke, with its over 40 carcinogens,” the Minister emphasised. Dr. Ferguson was making his contribution to the 2013/2014 Sectoral Debate in the...

Minister of Health, Hon. Dr. Fenton Ferguson, says he will be seeking the assistance of local and international partners, including the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), in the effort to reduce tobacco use in Jamaica. The Government is working to put in place a Tobacco Control Act, which will protect citizens from the harmful effects of tobacco smoking, by prohibiting...

Jamaica will join the rest of the world in intensifying efforts against tobacco advertising and promotion on World No Tobacco Day on Friday, May 31. The theme for this year’s commemorative activities is: 'Ban Tobacco Advertising, Promotion and Sponsorship: Save Our Youth'. Executive Director of the Heart Foundation of Jamaica and Board Member of the Jamaica Coalition for Tobacco Control,...