A four-day workshop on the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in Jamaica has opened with an assertion by the government that anti-smoking legislation will be introduced soon.

The director of the health promotion and protection division in Jamaica's ministry of health and environment, Dr Eva Lewis-Fuller, said the ministry hopes to implement a comprehensive tobacco control legislation by early next year. Lewis-Fuller said the legislation was not yet finalised due to changes in the government.
If implemented, the Jamaican FCTC legislation will prohibit the sale of tobacco products to minors, as well as tobacco advertising, sponsorship and promotion. Additionally, the legislation will mandate smoke-free environments in all enclosed spaces as well as clamp down on the illicit trade.
The workshop aims to build national capacity among Caribbean countries for the successful implementation of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. (pi)