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martes, 10 de marzo de 2015

Health Minister Puts Friends Of 'Big Tobacco' On Notice

Jamaica-gleaner.com – 9 de marzo de 2015 – Jamaica

Health Minister Dr Fenton Ferguson has served notice that Jamaica will be moving soon to implement Article 5.3 of the World Health Organization's (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), which will see the interaction of public officials with members of the tobacco industry coming under the microscope.

"The (tobacco) industry's interests and public health interests are just irreconcilable, and there are public officials, including politicians, who find it easy to be associated with the industry. By so doing, it sometimes creates conflicts," Ferguson told The Gleaner.

"You know the tobacco industry; they have been engaged in doing things in constituencies. At the same time, we have legislation that will come to Parliament, and we are not saying or accusing anyone but ... the same will go for our public officials. If you are in critical areas - finance, customs, etc, association would be very sensitive, and so what we want is ... not any condemnation of anyone, but to get officials to be aware," he advised.

Ferguson, who last week delivered the keynote address during an FCTC joint needs assessment stakeholders meeting at the Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel in St Andrew, said Jamaica was well aware of the influence wielded by 'Big Tobacco' and remained committed to resisting possible manipulation.

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