By: Nyima Sillah
Police have informed that the public will be sensitized on new enforcement law on tobacco while urged the public to respect the new law in place.
Speaking to journalists, Ebrima Bah Assistant Inspector General said: “there could be disquisitions applied in the start because not many people are aware of this act and ignorance of the law is not an excuse so saying that you don’t know about the act will not stop you from facing any penalty. “
“In the first few weeks in discussion could be exercise like people could be enlighten in the due process of enforcing the act, police officers could tell people the existence of this act so that people can start complaining and start to get familiar with it,” he added.
Meanwhile, he said: the act was the collaboration with ministry of health, rate the Gambia and the police force. Adding that, they have done series of consultations and eventually they agreed the day for the enforcement.
On penalties, he said he cannot tell what the penalties are but “obviously when you found wanting or found violating the roles govern by the regulations you will be prosecuted by the police with the support of relevant stakeholders that is Ministry of health and rate the Gambia.”
“If you are found selling tobacco to somebody of 16 years you can be taken to jail depending on the degree or magnitude of the offence created,” he continued that “there was no enforcement prior to the act that was enacted in 2016 and the procuration was 2019 is now that they are enforcing it. That was the purpose of the statement.”
“The police are in the forefront of any enforcement of any act, whether is environment, health, criminal or another enforcement so this is why the IGP did a statement to tell the public what is about to start. I want everyone to collaborate with the police and know that we are not anybody’s enemy we are just doing our job as law enforcement agencies,” he added.
