(De Ware Tijd) PARAMARIBO – Measures considered to discourage the use of tobacco include a ban on the sale of individual cigarettes in stores and on the buying or selling of tobacco by people 18 and under. Other measures include a ban on smoking in cars and on public roads. A new tobacco law that is currently being drafted will work out these and other proposals. The government’s policy to discourage the use of tobacco is necessary because it turns out, among other things, that 24% of Suriname’s inhabitants are active smokers. A school survey conducted in 2008 and 2009 shows that 6% of middle school students between the ages of 13 and 15 have been offered free tobacco products by representatives of the tobacco industry (importers and distributors). This occurred stealthily during the promotion of tobacco products at special events. According to Elvy Martodikromo of the Bureau Alcohol and Drugs (BAD), both administrative and legal measures will be taken against violators. The exact sanctions and how they will work in practice must be determined yet. Fines or possible prison sentences will not be excluded
