Dear Editor,
I find the decision by the minister to ban smoking in public places laughable. Don't misunderstanding me, the thinking is right, but the implementation is where you will find the problem.
Jamaica has a history of passing laws which are either enforced for a short while and abandoned or never enforced at all. Case in point, the wearing of helmets by motorcyclists.
Ganga is illegal in Jamaica and it is smoked on every street corner and every public event I attend in full view of police. The authorities have been unable to stop an illegal practice and instead the police occasionally come down hard on some unfortunate person against whom there is possibly some vendetta. The same thing is going to happen as far as smoking of cigarettes (which is legal) in an illegal area.
Let's see you enforce this one, Mr Minister.
I find the decision by the minister to ban smoking in public places laughable. Don't misunderstanding me, the thinking is right, but the implementation is where you will find the problem.
Jamaica has a history of passing laws which are either enforced for a short while and abandoned or never enforced at all. Case in point, the wearing of helmets by motorcyclists.
Ganga is illegal in Jamaica and it is smoked on every street corner and every public event I attend in full view of police. The authorities have been unable to stop an illegal practice and instead the police occasionally come down hard on some unfortunate person against whom there is possibly some vendetta. The same thing is going to happen as far as smoking of cigarettes (which is legal) in an illegal area.
Let's see you enforce this one, Mr Minister.