ISO 9001: 2015 CERTIFIED

PUBLIC NOTICE

26^th July, 2021

TOBACCO SMOKING IN PUBLIC PLACES

1. The Tanzania Medicines and Medical Devices Authority (TMDA) has recently been designated by the Minister of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children to assume the responsibilities of regulating tobacco products with effect from 30th April, 2021 through Government Notice No. 360.
2. Section 12 of the Tobacco Products (Regulation) Act, Cap 121 interprets public places as health care establishments, library, places of worship, enclosed premises intended for socio-cultural meetings, sporting or recreational activities, public eating places, office buildings, public transport on air, land or sea, pavillion, enclosed environment such as markets, malls and any other enclosed place to which the public has admittance.
3. In accordance with the Act, legible signs denoted “NO SMOKING” and “HAIRUHUSIWI KUVUTA SIGARA” are required to be conspicuously displayed in public places where smoking is prohibited.
4. Nevertheless, Section13 of the aforementioned Act permits smoking in certain areas to include higher educational establishments, office buildings, hotels, bars or restaurants, and any other entertainment facility of which rooms for smoking and non-smoking should be allocated.
5. Further, subject to sub-regulation 7 (1) and (2) of the Tobacco Products Regulations, 2014, any person who owns, occupies or operates any public place is required to install a tobacco product smoke detector before occupation and place warning signs at the entrance of the building printed with the words “THIS BUILDING IS INSTALLED WITH A SMOKE DETECTOR” and “JENGO HILI LIMEFUNGWA MITAMBO YA KUBAINI MOSHI WA TUMBAKU”.
6. Henceforth, with this notice, TMDA directs all owners, occupiers and operators of public buildings to ensure that they comply with the provisions of the Act and Regulations as set out above.
7. Owners, occupiers and operators are given a period of one year from the date of this Notice to comply with the provisions of the Act and Regulations as stipulated above and after that time, inspections will be conducted countrywide to verify the implementation of these directives including taking regulatory actions in accordance with the Act.
8. It should be noted that, the tobacco products referred to in this Notice are those legally recognized which include cigarettes, cigars, cigarirus, hand-rolling tobacco, pipe tobacco and fine tobacco. Tobacco products that are used by means other than smoking (smokeless tobacco products) are not allowed to be used in any place or environment in Tanzania.