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House debates ways to snub butt and tot The National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol Bill is to come up for debate in Parliament on Tuesday. The constitutionality of the Bill has been challenged in the Supreme Court by several companies and hotel associations and the SC’s determination is expected to be announced in Parliament the same day. The Bill states that “every person who is the owner, proprietor or manager or trustee or occupier of any building, built in an enclosed area to which the public have access, shall ensure that no person smokes any tobacco products within such building or area”. Hotel and restaurant owners fear this would affect their business. The Bill provides for the establishment of the Authority for the purpose of identifying the policy on protecting public health, the elimination of tobacco and alcohol related harm through the assessment and monitoring of the production and marketing and composition of such products. The Bill also includes provision discouraging persons, especially children, from smoking or consuming alcohol by curtailing their access to tobacco and alcohol products. The Bill was presented to Parliament last month by Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva and is drawn on similar lines as that of the private members Bill presented by JHU Parliamentarian Ven. Omalpe Sobitha Thera earlier this year. The JHU Bill too was challenged in the SC and the Court ruled that the Bill could win Parliamentary approval with some amendments that it had suggested.
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