Cape Town 'kicking the habit'

2005-05-30 15:22

Cape Town 'kicking the habit' Cape Town - Cape Town City's health department has carried out "a blitz" on restaurants during May, finding that nearly 90% of the restaurants visited are complying with national smoking regulations, the city said in a statement on Monday.

Noting that it was "World No Tobacco Day" on Tuesday - May 31, city health director Dr Ivan Toms said: "The good news is that of 862 premises visited 88% - or 761 - complied with the regulations. The other 101 were fined or given written notices".

Mayoral committee member for health Tozama Nomsa Mlanjeni said: "The city is committed to improving the health of all our citizens and enforcing legislation that helps protect others from passive smoking in public places.

"On World No Tobacco Day I urge all smokers to seriously consider the impact of continued smoking on their health and to commit themselves to stop smoking.

The benefits to them and their families' health will be worth the hardship of kicking the habit and they will have more money for other, more pleasant activities.

"The city will continue to strictly enforce the tobacco regulations and we look forward to the greatly increased fines due later this year."

City Health will be supporting the World Health Organisation's theme of "Health Professionals and Tobacco Control". Health professionals would focus on TB and HIV clients through brief interventions to motivate them to quit smoking.

Staff would help clients to understand the dangers of smoking and support them in trying to stop.

"City Health will be pulling out all the stops to support citizens to stop smoking. The focus on TB and HIV clients will compliment the enforcement approach through our environmental health practitioners enforcing the tobacco regulations in public places.

"We ask the citizens of Cape Town to assist us in identifying public places that break the law by telephoning our complaints line on 021 400 4291. Together we can help improve Cape Town's health," said Toms.

- I-Net Bridge (News24)