Zimbabwe To Arrest People For Smoking In Public

Zimbabwe will come down hard on people who smoke in public according to the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare.

The Public Health Act (Tobacco Control) Regulation 264 of 2002 prohibits public smoking, deputy director for the department of mental health services and substance abuse, Mrs Dorcas Sithole has said.

That means no smoking in public transport, public halls, public gatherings and on the streets.

Some clubs in Harare have already started prohibiting smoking indoors, allowing people to smoke outside. That is in compliance with the law to have a specific area where smoking may be allowed. However no smoking will be allowed on the street.

The fine if caught smoking in public is $500 or a period of up to six months in jail.

So word, this law goes way back to 2002.

Quick side-note: You want to create incentives for smoke-free establishments. A lot of the night spots get a lot of their business from smokers so if they can keep some people’s lungs free and they get a break somehow. no smoking though… On the real.

Other side-note: Will the police be doing cartwheels over this? It’s $500 or six months in jail or you grease his palms with a cool shiny note with Ulysses S. Grant on it.

With information from Sunday News Zimbabwe