POLICE AND HEALTH OFFICIALS ARREST 38 IN A JOINT OPERATION TO ENFORCE TOBACCO CONTROL LAWS IN ARUA CITY.

The territorial police of Arua Central Business Division arrested 38 persons in an intelligence led operation which was conducted jointly with officials from Ministry of Health, Department of tobacco control division and health inspectors of Arua City. The purpose of the operation was to enforce tobacco control laws in the communities. It took place in the evening of Friday 17th November 2023. Out of the 38 arrested, 3 were women and 35 were men. This time the operation targeted mainly Shisha smoking, and the arrested people included those found smoking Shisha as well as the proprietors of Shisha business. They were arrested for being in possession of banned tobacco products like Shisa and smoking in public places contrary to tobacco control Act 2015, Part 3, sections 11, 12 and 16.

The intelligence led operation covered swalia cell, Baruku cell and Junior Quarters all in Arua City Central Division, where the vice is common, and will be extended to other areas of Greater Arua and West Nile Region generally. Items recovered include 20 Shisa pots, 18 shisha pipes, 11 tins of Shisha ingredients and 5 sachets of Jirack molases, which are all exhibited. The suspects are being detained at Arua Central Business Division as screening and investigations continue. Their case file is being compiled and will be forwarded to Resident State Attorney for perusal and legal advice.

Tobacco Control Act 2015 contains the laws, guidelines and punishment for contravention. Before the operation, police and the team had joint radio talkshows on Tobacco Control laws to create awareness among the Communities of West Nile Region. Smoke free environment is a right to everybody, and so the proprietors of public places like bars, clubs, discotheques are to create space for their clients who smoke as per tobacco control guidelines. Individual punishment for a person who contravens the law is a fine not less than 480,000Ug shillings, and or imprisonment for not less than one year or both. For a corporation that contravens the guidelines, a fine not less than 20 million Ug shillings, withdraw of operating license and other forms of punishments as specified in the law.

We therefore urge the general public to abide by tobacco control laws inorder to save citizens from the health effects of uncontrolled smoking in public, as well as to avoid inconveniences of related arrests and prosecution. Proprietors and Consumers of Shisha should desist from it as it's completely banned by the same law. Meanwhile those who can not do without smoking should go and smoke 50 metres away from any public place to save non smokers from the health effects of the released smoke.

SSP Angucia Josephine

PRO West Nile Region.

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