The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) in the Upper East Region undertook unannounced visits to night clubs, pubs and entertainment centres within the Bolgatanga Municipality to ensure compliance to ‘No Smoking’ signage.
Official of the FDA, led by its Acting Regional Head, Mr Abel Ndego, visited some popular pubs and night clubs, including the ‘Racla Pub’, ‘Plus 2’, ‘Jocom night club’, the ‘Bombs Events’ among others between 2200hours and 0100hours to ensure ‘No Smoking’ signs were visibly displayed at vantage areas.
The disguised officials also looked out for patrons who openly smoked cigarette, cigar, shisha and other tobacco products to ensure public safety, and commended owners and operators of the centres who ensured patrons complied with the law against public smoking.
Mr Ndego, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) after the visits, said there was a ban on public smoking, and that the FDA undertook the exercise to ensure that entertainment centres appreciated and complied with the ban.
“Because these places are designated as public places, there are supposed to be signage that would indicate that smoking in such places are prohibited by law,” he said.
He said prior to the unannounced visits, the FDA had engaged operators and owners of the facilities in the Region and sensitized them on the dangers associated with tobacco and tobacco smoke and noted that “There is no safe form of tobacco use, be it in the smokeless or smoked form”.
Mr Ndego said the initiative was part of the FDA’s collaboration with stakeholders, especially the Tobacco Policy Action Fund for Africa (TOPAFA) to ensure a smoke-free environment in Ghana.
“It is important that we get members of the public to appreciate the gravity of the health challenges that are directly associated with exposure to tobacco smoke.
“And because the night attracts a lot of patrons to these centres, and also the cover of darkness is rife for smoking activities, we feel that it is important for us to come around some of these places to see for ourselves the real situation,” Mr Ndego told the GNA.
He observed that entertainment centres in the Municipality that were notorious for smoking activities had stopped the practice after the Authority’s sensitization on the effects of smoking, saying “We actually did not see even a single person engaged in smoking there”.
He said the consequences of tobacco smoke were dire and indicated that there were lots of campaigns by the FDA against tobacco use and its health-related challenges.
“It is the believe of the FDA that we need to galvanize support from the general public to enforce the provisions of the Public Health Act, particularly part six of the Public Health Act 851, which is dedicated to tobacco regulation,” he said.
The Acting Head and his team used the opportunity to interact with managers and operators who visibly displayed the ‘No Smoking’ signs at their facilities, as well as some patrons to appreciate the dangers of tobacco use and need for self-regulation.
“When people appreciate and understand the impact of tobacco use, it makes the regulation framework easier for everyone because when people self-regulate, they ensure that nobody is smoking around them,” he added.
