Ministry of Health and Partners launch National Tobacco Control Plan

Belize City, May 31 2007 - Belize joined other countries of the world in celebrating World No Tobacco Day on Thursday, May 31 2007, under the theme of Smoke Free Environments. Reports from the Ministry of Health show that cancers and other conditions caused by exposure to tobacco are on the increase. Ensuring that all environments are free of tobacco smoke is the only effective measure to ensure that the public including women, children and people at their workplaces and other public places, are protected from exposure to second-hand smoke.

The Ministry of Health and the Belize National Tobacco Control Committee in collaboration with the Pan American Health Organization took the opportunity to launch the National Tobacco Control Plan in a ceremony held at the Princess Hotel, this morning.

The overall aim of the Belize National Tobacco Control Plan is to reduce the prevalence of tobacco consumption and exposure to tobacco smoke and its products. It is intended to meet specific provisions and obligations set out within the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) and thereby contribute to the global efforts to address this major public health problem. The implementation of this plan will serve to greatly reduce the burden on the health care system specifically in the context of chronic non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, stroke, cardiovascular diseases and cancers. 

Several restaurants which have enforced no-smoking rules were honored for their voluntary contribution to smoke free efforts in Belize . The Kremandala Company which has practiced a voluntary ban on tobacco advertising was also honored. The Phillip Goldson International Airport was the first establishment to have received such an award in 2001.

World No Tobacco Day was designated by the World Health Organization to draw attention to the dangers of smoking, second hand smoking, and efforts which must be made to reduce tobacco use.