Landmark Tobacco Control Bill Introduced
Belize is taking a bold step to protect its people, especially the youth, from the deadly harms of tobacco. Minister of Health and Wellness Kevin Bernard introduced the Tobacco Control Bill 2025 in the House of Representatives this morning, calling it a “decisive step” toward safeguarding public health and saving lives.
“I rise to introduce a bill… to provide for the adoption and implementation of the tobacco control policies in accordance with the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control,” Bernard said. “It aims to protect present and future generations from the devastating harms of tobacco use and exposure to tobacco smoke.”
The proposed law seeks to regulate the sale, use, advertising, packaging, and labelling of tobacco and nicotine-related products, including emerging threats like e-cigarettes. It would also ban the involvement of the tobacco industry in national health policy decisions.
“Tobacco is No Conventional Product”
Bernard did not mince words when describing the scale of the crisis.
“Tobacco is no conventional product,” he declared. “In fact, tobacco is the only legal consumer product that, when used as directed by manufacturers, kills two-thirds of consumers. That’s a real fact.”
Citing World Health Organization (WHO) data, Bernard revealed the staggering global impact: tobacco kills over eight million people every year, including 1.2 million non-smokers exposed to secondhand smoke.
He noted that in Belize, 8.7% of adults use tobacco, while 15% of young people aged 13 to 15 are users, nearly double the regional average. The rise of e-cigarettes, he warned, is making matters worse.
“The prevalence of e-cigarette use among our 13 to 15-year-olds was last estimated at an outstanding 12%,” he said. “We must act with urgency to save our youth.”
“The Power of Prevention Starts with What We Do”
Bernard urged fellow lawmakers to see the bill as a moral responsibility to protect the nation’s future.
“The tobacco epidemic is completely preventable with the implementation of effective legislation, policies, and programs,” Bernard said. “The power of prevention starts with what we do.”
He appealed for unity in passing the law, saying the health of the Belizean people must come before the profits of the tobacco industry.
“Let us choose the health of our nation’s children over the profits of the tobacco industry,” he said passionately. “Together, let us proceed with wisdom and vigilance.”
Bernard warned that other countries faced “great resistance” from powerful tobacco manufacturers, who often use tactics to derail legislation.
“The interests of the tobacco industry are diametrically opposed to the interests of public health,” he cautioned. “This is why we must act with resolve, clear in the conviction that we are doing right by our people.”
Protecting Present and Future Generations
The Tobacco Control Bill has Cabinet’s full backing and the support of international health partners such as PAHO and the WHO.
“Our aim is to protect present and future generations from the devastating harms of tobacco use and exposure to tobacco smoke,” he said. “Let us take this decisive step together to pass the Tobacco Control Bill.”
With the bill now introduced, debate and review will continue in the coming sessions of Parliament. But for Bernard, the message was clear:
“This is about saving lives, protecting our youth, and choosing health over harm.”
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