Black Immigrant Daily News

Some 900 million people, or 96% of the population of the 35 countries of the Americas are currently protected by at least one of the six tobacco control measures recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), up 50% from 2007. However, progress has not been uniform.

According to the Report on Tobacco Control for the Region of the Americas 2022, presented today by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), 26 of the Region’s 35 countries have achieved the highest level of application of at least one measure; but other measures such as increased tobacco taxes have made slow progress and nine countries have not yet taken any action.

“Tobacco causes nearly a million deaths in the region every year and it is the only legal consumer product that kills up to half of those who use it,” said Dr. Anselm Hennis, Director of PAHO’s Department of Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health. “The response to this enormous threat must be equally aggressive. Control measures work and we must move more quickly to implement all of them.”

The report shows that, in 2021, of 35 countries in the Americas:

24 are implementing measures to protect against exposure to second-hand smoke

22 require large graphic warnings about the dangers of smoking on tobacco product packages

10 have surveillance systems with recent, periodic, and representative data on tobacco use by adults and young people

6 offer a comprehensive system to help people quit smoking

9 establish total bans on tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship

3 apply indirect taxes to cigarettes that account for 75% or more of the retail price.

Progress in the application of the six measures known as MPOWER, established by WHO in 2008, has helped reduce the prevalence of tobacco use from 28% of the region’s population in 2000 to 16.3% in 2020, the second lowest in the world. In 2020, South America became the first smoke-free subregion of the Americas, where smoking is absolutely prohibited in enclosed public places, in workplaces, and on public transport.

Tobacco use is the leading risk factor for six of the eight leading causes of death in the world, and for the four most preventable and prevalent noncommunicable diseases: cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and chronic respiratory disease. All forms of tobacco are harmful and there is no safe level of exposure.

Addressing the threat of new products

The PAHO report warns that new and emerging nicotine and tobacco products such as e-cigarettes are becoming increasingly available and accessible, posing a threat to tobacco control. It also warns that the tobacco industry makes misleading claims to increase consumers and enter new markets.

PAHO/WHO recommends that governments put regulations in place to help prevent non-smokers from starting to use these products, to prevent tobacco use from becoming socially acceptable again, and to protect future generations.

Currently, the sale of electronic nicotine delivery systems is banned in seven countries in the Americas. Five of these countries and 13 others have taken partial measures to prohibit the use of these systems, limit their advertising, promotion, and sponsorship, and require warnings on their packaging. Fifteen countries do not impose any regulatory framework.

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Scrap iron worker, Devon Hayde, in an interview on Thursday speaks with media. Like other workers, he too distanced himself from the Trinidad & Tobago Scrap Iron Dealers Association and blasts the government on the decision to implement a 6-month ban on export to the industry. Photo by Marvin Hamilton

THE Public Services Association has said it stands in solidarity with members of the Scrap Iron Dealers Association against government’s decision to impose a six-month ban on the export of old and scrap metal.

During a press conference on Thursday morning the association’s president, Leroy Baptiste, called on the government to reconsider this approach.

He said the government had disregarded the livelihood of scrap-iron workers, without offering incentives to the families affected by this move.

While he agrees there must be action to deal with the increase in theft and vandalism of state and private assets, he believes such a drastic move was unwarranted.

The ban came into effect on August 12, but was announced on August 15 at a joint press conference held by National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds and Attorney General Reginald Armour.

In three months, Armour will approach Cabinet with a review of the industry and proposed legislation aimed at monitoring and reducing the illegal trade in scrap iron and metal. Once Cabinet is convinced, the ban will end.

File photo: PSA president Leroy Baptiste. File photo/Sureash Cholai

But Baptiste said, “It’s unusual as a strategy to shut an industry for the purpose of drafting regulatory legislation…We are concerned about the business owners in the industry. They will have their financial commitments. How are they to meet those commitments? Don’t cut off the nose to spite the face.

“It’s not a surprise, but it’s concerning that government would take a decision that impacts workers’ lives and livelihood. It’s almost trivialised, it’s not even in any way giving any regard to how those workers will survive in those six months.”

He said if the government decided to halt the industry, there must be a safety net for the workers affected during that period, “so they can continue to cover important expenses… It’s callous and inconsiderate to simply not give any regard for the workers and businesses involved.”

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Acting CoP McDonald Jacob. File photo/Angelo Marcelle

The UNC is calling on acting Commissioner of Police Mc Donald Jacob to produce statistics on arrests being made in the US in places where guns shipped to TT originated.

Speaking at a mid-week media conference at the Office of the Opposition Leader on Thursday, UNC political and strategy analyst attorney Sean Sobers criticised Jacob for attributing the rise in crime to illegal guns coming through legal points of entry.

“He indicated there was some collating of data and a task force to be formed to collate information with the alcohol, tobacco, and firearms unit in the US. He also spoke about arrests being made in these originating states within the US.

“Where’s the statistical information on that? How can we trust what you are saying? Because we would have heard this song and dance many times before.”

Naparima MP Rodney Charles called on Jacob to insist that the scanners at ports are functioning. He also criticised the police for the abysmal detection rate and the lack of trust in them.

Referring to the US State Department’s report on human trafficking which said TT had not done enough work to fight the issue, Sobers said under the UNC, the counter-trafficking unit had been fully resourced.

“It has now been partially dismantled, and has to rely on other parts of the service to have strike capabilities. That’s why the US can say there is inefficiency.

“We need to improve the detection rate. Some people know the criminal elements in their areas but don’t trust the police. The social services and programmes in place under the People’s Partnership, which we knew would contribute to a reduction in the crime rate, have been gutted or stopped.”

Naparima MP Rodney Charles. File photo/Sureash Cholai

Charles called on government to write to the US State Department to demand clarification ofthe names of the high-ranking officials who the report said were involved in human trafficking.He called on the PM to fire National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds and take his place. He said prison officers and lifeguards had expressed a loss of confidence in Hinds.

Charles said he would be writing to Denmark’s Minister of Taxation Morten Bodskov to find out why he had said TT existed in a nook of shame.

“As we speak, TT remains on an EU negative blacklist for being a tax haven linked to such crimes as money laundering. Why are we alone among Caricom states on an EU watchlist? Something is amiss, and that EU minister clearly knows something of which we are unaware.”I therefore intend to write to him to find out what caused him to utter such pejorative remarks against my country.”

Charles said the UNC had supported every bit of legislation which would have enabled TT to be removed from the blacklist.

“Whether it was the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) – we made amendments. but we supported it. The Income Tax Amendment Bill in 2019: we supported that. The Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters Bill in 2018: we supported that; and the Tax Information Exchange Agreement Bill, 2018, we supported, because the instructions we had from our leader were to support any bill that would get us off the blacklist, although we would try to make any improvements we could.”

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by Neval Auguste

Miss Jassie Thomas, winner of the Ministry of Tourism’s TikTok video challenge, and her family were welcomed on August 12 at the Ministry of Tourism.

Tourism Minister, Hon. Dr. Ernest Hilaire, spoke briefly about tourism as an avenue for career development and creating livelihoods. He also expressed that young people should be selected to be ministers throughout all portfolios.

Miss Nathania Augier, Operations Manager at the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority (SLTA) presented a cheque of EC $1500 and a complementary bag of tokens to the new Junior Minister.

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Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism, Ms Donalyn Vittet, presented the winner with a new laptop, whilst the Hon. Dr. Ernest Hilaire awarded her a plaque. Miss Thomas will also receive a day pass for two to the Anse Chastanet Hotel.

Miss Thomas expressed gratitude for the opportunity: “I would like to thank the Ministry of Tourism for giving me this opportunity to join the competition, along with my school, the Vieux Fort Comprehensive Secondary School, the Cadet Corps and my family members. I look forward to working with everyone and I am proud to be your Junior Minister of Tourism 2022/2023.”

The new Junior Minister called the process of putting together the video for the competition a rewarding experience.

Source: Government Information Service

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