Editor,

It is more than twelve months since the tobacco control regulations, or Ministerial Orders, were published in the Official Gazette on June 29, 2015.

The regulations entered into force on the very date of publication in the Gazette, except one regulation that provided a transition period of twelve months to manufacturers, importers, exporters and distributors of tobacco and tobacco products, to comply.

That period has now elapsed, and it is illegal to sell tobacco products in a manner that is not compliant with the tobacco control law and the regulations in force.

The content and design of the health warning to be put on the packaging of tobacco and tobacco products must now contain words warning against smoking. The warning must occupy a surface area of not less than 30% of the entire pack on the sides.

The regulations require that smoking in public places is restricted to designated areas, sales to children under eighteen (18) years are prohibited, and specific contents of hazardous elements like nicotine and carbon monoxide are stated. The health warning must be written in Kinyarwanda and English, or Kinyarwanda and French.

A look at the health warnings on the products on the shelves before entry into force of the regulations shows that warnings were small, unreadable, and only in English.

Likewise, it is now required that the health warnings continuously rotate on a twelve (12) month basis so that the message to the tobacco smoking population is clear and well understood.

The regulations are preceded by the tobacco control law that was published in the Official Gazette of April 8, 2013.

The law carries both administrative and penal sanctions for any person that violates tobacco control provisions.One provision requires that tobacco must not be sold to a child who is or less than eighteen (18) years of age, near a school or premises designated for children, health facilities, or sports and leisure grounds, among others.Owners or managers of restaurants, hotels and other public places are required to designate an open area for smoking and mark them as such, and mark other areas that are prohibited for smoking, according to the regulations.

Both the law and regulations are aimed at controlling smoking in public places. With tangible scientific evidence, it has been proven that tobacco smoking is a leading cause of cancers and other health complications to both smokers and those affected by smoking or passive smokers.

The tobacco control law and regulations are part of other measures taken by the Rwandan government to control smoking at the national level. At the international level, the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), a global public health legal instrument, sets minimum standards to Member States, Rwanda inclusive, to control the use of tobacco and tobacco products.

This includes ensuring that people above the age of eighteen (18) years are fully aware of the potential health risks before smoking.

With the tobacco control law, regulations and the FCTC in force in Rwanda, national stakeholders including but not limited to customs officers, inspectors, owners of hotels, restaurants and bars, manufacturers and any person selling tobacco and tobacco products are required to ensure that the products comply with the law and regulations stated above.

Spencer Bugingo,Legal Advisor, Ministry of Health