This decree defines the scope of the prohibition on smoking in public places or places open to the public, and specifies the powers of health police officers in enforcing the law on tobacco control. It also sets out the rules governing the liability of manufacturers and distributors of tobacco products in the event of damage caused by the consumption of these products.
The purpose of this Act is to: a) protect the health of the population against the many debilitating and fatal diseases caused by tobacco; b) limit the population's access to tobacco and protect it from inducements to use tobacco and the smoking which may result; c) make the population aware of the dangers of tobacco use and exposure to tobacco smoke.
This Proclamation is to protect the present and future generations from the devastating health, social, environmental and economic consequences of tobacco consumption and exposure to tobacco smoke by providing a legal framework for tobacco control measures, and reduce significantly tobacco use and its consequent harm.