Health Minister defends smoking ban in public places

KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – The Jamaica government says while it remains open to facilitating dialogue and reasonable suggestions regarding the newly implemented smoking ban in public places, the policy was not taken in isolation.
“When we look at emerging data, some, 50 per cent of persons who smoke die from some kind of tobacco-related illness. So my actions and that of the Government are not in isolation. It is against the background of a vision,” said Health Minister Dr. Fenton Ferguson.
“It is against the background of doing other things that when you pull the pieces together, you will see, over time, the emergence of a health care delivery system that will be good for Jamaica.”