Addis Ababa to introduce smoking ban

A ban on tobacco smoking in public places and at public gatherings has been announced by the mayor of Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa, according to a story in the UK’s Daily Mail quoting local media.

A new law makes smoking illegal in bars, cafés, restaurants, schools, hospitals and stadiums, as well as at cultural and religious events.

Tobacco advertising is also banned, according to the state-controlled Fana Radio.

“Due to tobacco, people are dying and being exposed to several health hazards,” said mayor Diriba Kuma. “For these reasons, the public have the responsibility to fight tobacco smoking in public gatherings.”

Ethiopian lawmakers in 2014 unanimously passed legislation banning smoking in public places but Addis Ababa will become only the second Ethiopian city to enforce the law. Mekelle, the capital of the Tigray region, put the law into effect in January 2015.

The law will be more difficult to apply in the large and growing capital that is home to about four million people.

Indeed, the introduction of the ban in Addis Ababa was previously announced in the middle of February, at which time it was said that it would come into force in less than a month.

Tobacco use in Africa (excluding South Africa) increased by nearly 70 percent between 1990 and 2010, according to research by the American Cancer Society.

And the number of smokers is predicted to increase by 40 percent by 2030.