Paulina Quintao – The government must ban the import of cigarettes into Timor-Leste for the health of its people, says Member of Parliament Eladio Faculto.

Faculto said there were no local cigarette manufacturers and that the imported products were known to cause diseases such as cancer and hypertension in smokers.

"I think we must stop cigarette imports to Timor-Leste because we do not produce cigarettes here but we smoke and we are giving money to these foreign companies and in return they are giving us diseases," he said.

He urged if it did not stop imports altogether, the government must at least place heavy regulations on the sale of cigarettes, such as increasing the price of packs to a minimum of $10.

The Commission F (health, education, culture, veterans' affairs and gender equality) member called on the World Health Organization (WHO) to continue its work educating people about the health implications of tobacco use.

WHO representative Dr Jorge Mario Luna said smoking was a major risk to health. "It can kill people quietly and slowly from liver, throat or lip cancer," he said.

He said inhaling second hand smoke was also dangerous and called for laws to ban smoking in public places.

"We have worked with the Health Ministry to complete a draft law for the control of tobacco and it will go to the Council of Ministers and then to National Parliament," he said. "We hope that it will receive priority and be approved soon."

He said the laws were part of Timor-Leste's commitment to the international conventions on smoking which have been ratified by Parliament. The convention puts restrictions on cigarette advertising in public places.

Youth Atanacio Soares said politicians must lead by example. "How can our leaders tell people not to smoke when they smoke in public places themselves?" he asked. He supported the push to ban cigarette imports or to raise prices.

Source: http://www.thediliweekly.com/en/news/news/13002-mp-ban-import-of-cigarettes