Should smoking in public be banned?
Do you think the Health minister is on to something? Should smoking be banned in public spaces? Take our poll here.
Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has proposed banning public smoking.
The minister also proposed the following:
1. That there should be no-smoking zones outdoors and that it did not make sense to have a designated smoking zone in
places like hospitals.
2. Banning electronic cigarettes.
The ban could see people barred from smoking 50m from the entrances of public buildings.
He reportedly said there would also be a ban on smoking sections in restaurants and that tobacco products should not be displayed in shops.
The Gauteng Liquor Form stated that
if smoking is
completely banned in public spaces, such as taverns, it will push more people
to frequent illegal shebeens.
The forum also said it believes that that banning public smoking would also lead to corruption in the police and occupy the time of officers who needed to focus on serious crimes.
Is the idea of banning smoking completely from most, if not all public spaces, including smoking areas, a good idea or not?