Kampala, January 24, 2014: Over thirty Ugandan law enforcement personnel have been trained in tobacco control with a view of mobilizing them to support the execution of tobacco control policies and legislation in the country. The training, by the Ministry of Health, was held in Kampala, from January 21-22, 2014 and was facilitated and supported by the Centre for Tobacco Control in Africa ( CTCA) and the WHO country office.
The trainees were drawn from a cross section of law enforcement agencies in the country including the Police, the Army, National Bureau of Standards, Local Governments, Kampala City Council Authority, Ministry of Gender, Labor and Social Development, and National Environment Authority ( NEMA). Among the trainees was the Commissioner of Police in charge of Environmental Police.
While facilitating, the Tobacco Control Focal Person in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Sheila Ndyanabangi said the exercise was aimed at empowering the enforcers with the capacity to implement tobacco control policies and laws.
The Manager of the CTCA, Dr. Possy Mugyenyi, stressed the need for the enforcers to appreciate the fact that smokers are victims who should not be victimized but assisted to quit smoking because they are simply addicted to tobacco. He said that CTCA will soon provide ‘ No Smoking’ signages for distribution in all the government ministries as a way of promoting smoke free environments in work places.
WHO’s William Onzivu took the enforcers through the principles and practices of tobacco control law enforcement and emphasized the need for regulations that specify the details of compliance, roles and responsibilities.
CTCA’s Jenninah Kabiswa guided the participants to appreciate the magnitude of the tobacco epidemic and its impact of society, thus the urgent need for enforcers to support the implementation of the related policies and legislation.
Uganda currently has a law enacted in 2004 that prohibits smoking in public places including workplaces, hospitals, schools, prisons, theaters, stadiums, and public transportation.
A comprehensive tobacco control bill covering all the other aspects of tobacco control as guided by the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control ( FCTC) is due to be tabled in parliament soon.
At the end of the training, the enforcers and the tobacco control advocates developed a draft enforcement plan to guide implementation. They also resolved to integrate the enforcement of the existing law in their various activities, advocate for the faster enactment of the pending comprehensive tobacco control legislation and to carry out massive sensitization of the public on the dangers of tobacco use.