Kids Protection: Prison, fines for tobacco sellers
Photo: archives
Committee in charge of studying and preparing the new childhood law at the level of government, includes a new article related to criminalizing cigarettes sale to kids, following a large insistence by associations of consumers protection, kids organizations and doctors, who called for the need to protect kids from the danger of tobacco that becomes more prevalent in schools, and reached over 25% of pupils of both genders, as showed by statistics of the National Body for Promoting Health and Developing Research “Foram”.
Member of the committee in charge of following and drafting kids law, Noureddine Bektache, the new article came following various consultations with kids associations, judges and lawyers, that culminated with proposing a new law that criminalizes selling tobacco to kids less 16, with a punishment ranging between six months to one year in prison and a fine ranging between 20.000 and 50.000 ZDZ.
“Same punishment will be applied on sellers of other products that are harmful to kids like alcoholics. New law will be applied after the parliamentary approval on the kids law before the current year’s end.”
NADA cell’s president, Abderrahmane Arar, asserted that the kids’ associations warned of the spread of selling tobacco to kids with the collusion of parents in some cases.
” NADA called for the criminalization of this phenomenon due to the dangerous harms on kids’ health and behavior. New Kids Law carries many new articles that will consolidate kids rights in reality. It should be approved quickly.”
Head of the Consumers Protection Association, Mostafa Zebdi, said his association initiated in organist g a campaign to criminalize selling tobacco to kids, as a result of the spread of this phenomenon in large cities.
“There should be a necessary awareness from such acts. Laws should be respected and their application on the ground should be followed in order to protect kids from sellers, opportunists and brokers”.