Fashola signs bill prohibiting smoking in in front of children and in public

CThe bill prohibiting smoking in public places has been signed into law by the Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola
The new law signed, reveals that smoking in front of a person who is below the age of 18 will attract a fine of N15, 000.

It also states that first time offenders risk N10,000 fine and one to three months imprisonment while second offenders may be fined up to N50, 000 and get up to six months imprisonment.

The law, which was brought before the governor by the House of Assembly, was signed into law on Monday.

The state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Ade Ipaye, while explaining the provision of the new law, said the Assembly took cognisance of the dangers posed by public smoking before it outlawed it in the interests of the general public.

“Others are public telephone kiosks, public transport vehicles, private vehicles where there are more than one person, school buses, restaurants, cinemas, theatres, amusement parks, exhibition halls, conference centres, factories and other premises in which more than one person works and areas used as places of work including the secretariat.”

The Attorney-General also explained that the new law allowed the owner of a public facility to designate smoking areas which must not be more than 10 per cent of the entire size of the place and must ensure that the smoking area was properly ventilated.

He said, “The owners also have the duty to stop smokers from infringing on the rights of the non-smokers because the owners could be criminally liable for not stopping smoking in its facility.

The new Law has warned that “Owners of facilities who fail to prohibit smoking or provide smoking site may be fined up to N100,000 or six months imprisonment or both. If the owner of the facility is a company, the fine could go up to N200, 000 and if the offences persist, it could lead to the facility being sealed off.