The Ashanti Regional Office of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has engaged operators of food service establishments in the Kumasi Metropolis in compliance with the ban on smoking in public places.

The Public Health Act (2012), Act 851 and LI 2247 (Tobacco Control Regulation) prohibit smoking in public places in Ghana, but people have been flouting the law thereby exposing the public to the dangers of smoking.

It is for this reason that the FDA as the regulator has been engaging operators of establishments such as restaurants, hotels, and pubs on the need to enforce the ban in the interest of public health.

Mr John Laryea Odai-Tettey, the Ashanti Regional Head of the FDA, said it was important to educate operators of such facilities about the laws banning public smoking and the consequences of non-compliance.

“Most people do not know about the ban and that is why we are engaging them, so they would appreciate the consequences and also assist us in the enforcement,” the Regional Head told the media.

He entreated the participants to ensure the “No Smoking” sign was always displayed conspicuously at the entrance of their facilities to serve notice to their customers, that the space they were entering forbid smoking.

Mr Odai-Tettey explained that the idea was not to ban smoking or tobacco products but to forbid smoking in public places, “so if indeed you want to smoke the law is not against you, but you cannot do that at risk of others.”

He, therefore, implored managers of such places to create designated places for those who want to smoke to do so in isolation.

He explained that the smoke that was exhaled and the one from the burning sticks of cigarettes were not supposed to be exposed to non-smokers, because the health effect of secondhand smoke was not different from primary smoke.

Beyond operators of food service establishments, officials of the FDA had been visiting faith-based organisations and schools to sensitise them on the dangers of tobacco, he said.

Mr Odai-Tettey reminded them that failure to comply could attract a fine of 750 penalty units or imprisonment term not exceeding three years and urged them to do the right thing not only for the safety of their customers but their own as well.