The Editor, Sir:

The Ministry of Health promised us earlier this year that it would be moving during the first quarter of the current fiscal year for the enactment of comprehensive legislation respecting a ban on smoking in public spaces.

We are coming towards the end of the third quarter of this fiscal year and the silence from the ministry on this promise has been rather deafening. One wonders whether 'special interests' may be at work here in preventing this from becoming a reality.

Though the promise was reportedly made by Dr Eva Lewis-Fuller, the director of health promotion and protection in the ministry, I trust Minister Rudyard Spencer would be fully aware and would likely be the person introducing in Parliament such promised legislation.

National health

This is an issue of great importance as regards national health, and we should be aiming to fulfil our commitment to the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control that we signed in July 2005.

There is no denying that tobacco smoking is deleterious to the health of smokers and non-smokers who are exposed to such a toxic environment. Although a good chunk of the taxes from cigarette sales fund the National Health Fund, the restrictions on tobacco smoking would ease the burden on our health-care system, since it would reduce many of the tobacco-related ailments now experienced.

It is full time now, Minister, that you stop the pussyfooting and bring meaningful action to restrict severely this bad and unhealthy practice of smoking.

I am, etc.,

KEVIN K.O. SANGSTER

sangstek@msn.com