It is now an offence to smoke publicly in Lagos state.
The penalty is 6months imprisonment with or
an option of N15,000 (Fifteen Thousand naira) fine.
Here is a reproduction of trending report on the development.
'The Lagos State House of Assembly on Monday finally passed a bill for
a law to regulate smoking in public places in all parts of the state.
The bill has been sent the state Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), for an ascent.
The bill, which scaled through the third reading, prohibits anybody
smoking in all public places including libraries, museum, public
toilets, schools, hospital, day care centres, public transportation and
restaurants among others.
The bill, which consists of 16 sections, said in section 12 that
posting of signs which states “No Smoking” symbol, depicts a pictorial
representation of a burning cigarette enclosed in a circle with a bar
across should be displayed in all no-smoking areas.
'It would be prominently pasted and properly maintained where smoking
is regulated by the law, by the owner, occupier or person in charge of a
“no-smoking area.”
Section 4 of the bill says that it shall be the duty of those who
owns or occupies public places to ensure that approved “no-smoking”
signs are displayed conspicuously at each entrance and in prominent
locations throughout the premises.
The bill also stated that the penalties for smoking in a “no-smoking
area” will be N10,000 fine or imprisonment for a term not less than
one month and not exceeding three months or both.
According to the bill, any person who repeatedly violates the provisions
shall on conviction be liable to a fine of N50,000 or six month
imprisonment or both.
The bill also states the penalty for non-compliance by owner/occupier
of a “no-smoking area.” The offenders shall attract N100,000 or 6 month
imprisonment, or other non custodial punishments that the judge may
deem fit.
It would also be an offence to obstruct a duly authorised officer from carrying out his duties under the provision of this law.
'The bill further stated that any person, who smokes in the presence
of a child commits an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a
fine of N15,000 or imprisonment for a month or both.'
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