50 METRES RULE LEAVES HOSPITALITY BUSINESSES SCRATCH THEIR COMBINED HEADS
(Posted 23rd October 2015)
‘The Law is an Ass’ is a familiar saying and no doubt referred to legislation which on second look suddenly no longer made sense and yet remained in the statute books. A similar case is now emerging in Uganda where the recent passing of the Tobacco Control Act 2015 now has hoteliers and restaurant owners wonder how to implement a particular section of the new law, which requires smokers to be at least 50 metres away from the main premises.
Said a lodge owner in a comment dripping with sarcasm: ‘If my guests want to smoke, and if I do not want to get charged with an offense as the owner of the premises, they must be 50 metres away from all structures. Now in one direction that will put them straight into the wilderness and in the other direction I have to give them a boat to float out on the water. These lawmakers, apart from being notorious to fill their own bellies with our tax money, obviously lacked the brains to figure out that this is not going to work. What about a small hotel in Kampala which is hemmed in by other buildings. There is no space and going by the 50 metres rule smokers will have to stand in the middle of the road? Ludicrous, simply ludicrous. I am not a smoker and it is good to spare non smokers the inhalation of second hand smoke but this rule just does not work in too many places. Like at Sheraton or Serena, will people who want to smoke have to go into the garden. What if it rains? This is a mess!’
Many hotels and lodges had established smoking corners, at times under covered outdoor spots, but the 50 metre rule no longer permits that and when found in breach of the law will the respective hotels owners and managers risk criminal cases for failing to comply with the new requirements.
Tourists from countries where smoking still remains a national pastime too may wonder if they wish to come to Uganda where they have to stand 50 metres away in order to indulge their habit or perhaps opt for other destinations which has more sensible regulations in place.
