Uganda Becomes World's 6th Smokefree Workplace Country

All workplaces and public places smokefree, including restaurants and bars

Parts excerpted from BBC Online, 3/12/0, smokefree.net

Environment minister Kahinda Otafiire announced this week that Uganda has eliminated tobacco smoke pollution in all workplaces and public places, including restaurants, educational institutions and bars.  Uganda joins Ireland, Sweden, Norway, New Zealand, and Bhutan as the world's first smokefree workplace countries.

Mr. Otafiire said the cabinet and parliament are backing the measure.  Offenders will be fined between $10 and $50.

Dangerous product

Philip Karugaba, a spokesman for the Environmental Action Network, which works to reduce tobacco addiction and disease in Uganda, said the minister was simply implementing a court decision passed in December 2002.

Mr. Karugaba said the ministry was instructed to prohibit smoking in public places after a court ruled that tobacco addiction was dangerous to the health of Ugandans.