Smoking Prohibited in all Public Places except Streets

Published on May 15th, 2009 05:52

A new method was proposed by the government for to ban smoking on the streets and raise the price of cigarettes.

Beth Mugo, a Kenyan politician, has proposed improvement amendments to the Tobacco Act to ban smoking on the streets nationwide.

Smoking was prohibited in restaurants, public buildings, factories, hospitals and other public places but not in streets.

Only some local authorities such as the City Council of Nairobi, Nakuru Municipal Council and Kangundo County Council have passed by-laws banning smoking on the streets.

The ministry also asked Treasury to increase excise duty for tobacco products to force more people to quit smoking.

If this new low will be accepted then tobacco consumers could be forced to look deeper into their pockets for to pay the expensive habit at a time when most people can simply afford basic commodities for their households.

The minister said that previous increase in the sin tax have not helped discourage the use of tobacco.

Tobacco is the only product that continues to kill its users while paradoxically enjoying universal availability.

Profits of cigarette manufactures are likely to be threatened with an increase in excise duty on Tobacco products as the country is currently suffering high inflation which has forced most people to abandon luxuries for basic commodities.