Smoking in public could cost you R500

May 27 2011 at 11:17am

SIPOKAZI FOKAZI

Health Writer

The City of Cape Town has threatened to crack down on patrons who break anti-smoking laws at entertainment establishments, including restaurants and pubs, warning that it will start fining errant individuals for the first time since anti-tobacco curbs were introduced in South Africa.

Speaking ahead of World No Tobacco Day, on Tuesday, city health head Ivan Bromfield said metro police had agreed to start fining individuals from next week.

Bromfield said the city had run many awareness campaigns, and that it was now time to start fining patrons who smoke in areas not designated for smoking. Fines of up to R500 each would be issued on the spot.

Amendments to the Tobacco Control Act, which came into effect in September 2009, banned smoking in entertainment areas, including bars, clubs, on restaurant patios and walkways, on balconies and in parkades.

The amendments also banned smoking in cars in which children younger than 12 are passengers, and put a stop to the sale of products such as sweets and chocolates by cigarette vendors.

Bromfield said the city had started with its enforcement of the legislation at restaurants and other places of entertainment, such as pubs and clubs, with an awareness drive by environmental health practitioners.

These practitioners had explained the requirements of the legislation to business owners, to ensure they understood and complied with the structural requirements of smoking areas, ventilation and signage.

“There was a follow-up by city officials who started to fine the owners of restaurants and places of entertainment for non-compliance with tobacco control legislation,” he said.

Now, as a next step in enforcing compliance with the legislation, the city would start fining individuals.

The metro police had also been asked to crack down on motorists smoking while small children were passengers in their cars, Bromfield added.

More than 3 000 premises were inspected between July and December. About 97 percent were compliant.

Bromfield revealed that R2 500 was the biggest fine that had been issued to a business for breaking the smoking laws.

As part of raising awareness about the dangers of smoking and anti-smoking legislation on World No Tobacco Day, the city and the Cancer Association of South Africa, is to host several activities in educational institutions across the metro on Tuesday.

sipokazi.fokazi@inl.co.za

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http://www.iol.co.za/capeargus/smoking-in-public-could-cost-you-r500-1.1074836