Government 'will not budge' from smoking regulations deadlines

Health Minister Louis Deguara said yesterday that the government would not budge from the timeframes given for the introduction of new regulations banning smoking in public places, whether or not agreement was reached with the Chamber of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (GRTU).

A GRTU delegation recently walked out from a technical committee considering air quality standards.

The minister, replying to questions in parliament by Nationalist MP Jason Azzopardi, said he was shocked at the irresponsible statement made by the president of the GRTU's hospitality and leisure division, Philip Fenech that health did not come before the economy. Indeed, there had been a strong public reaction to those comments and the president of the GRTU (Charles J. Busuttil) had immediately tried to give a different interpretation of what Mr Fenech said.

What would have been preferable, however, was for Mr Fenech to admit his mistake. His reasoning had not made sense and the Health Department's priority remained to reduce deaths and illnesses caused by smoking.

It was not enough to say that 362 deaths were caused by smoking last year. One also needed to consider the deteriorating quality of life suffered by thousands of smokers.

Dr Deguara said that after GRTU director-general Vince Farrugia claimed that there existed air purifying equipment which eliminated the harmful effects of smoking, the government had extended its deadline for bars and restaurants to conform to the new regulations so that Mr Farrugia's declaration could be proved. It was also agreed that a committee chaired by the Malta Standards Authority would be formed to establish if such equipment could guarantee the required air quality.

At one time, somebody tried to sell air purifying equipment to bar owners and restaurateurs claiming it met the required standards. The health authorities immediately issued a public statement advising against the purchase of such equipment until air quality levels were established.

At that time the GRTU and the other members of the committee collaborated on the setting of the air quality standards but when the GRTU started to realise that the levels under consideration would not please the bar owners, its representatives walked out.

Dr Deguara said that once the standards were established, the Health Division would respect them. He was confident that common sense would prevail eventually. But he wanted to warn that the six-month extension given to establishments which were larger than 60 square metres and the extension of one year (to April) for smaller premises would not be moved, whether or not agreement was reached.