Shania Shayal Prasad 
[File Photo]
A shortage of trained prosecutors and enforcement staff is affecting tobacco control efforts across the country.
The Health Ministry currently has only 15 prosecutors covering more than 30 magistrate courts.
Tobacco Control Unit Head Maleli Baleiwera says some cases are lost due to lack of evidence, while others are dismissed because of non-appearance in court.
He adds that the ministry is looking at ways to strengthen enforcement, including recruiting more officers and increasing advocacy to educate the public about tobacco risks.
“Our success rate is around 80 percent because some of our cases we lose due to lack of evidence, and some of our cases are being dismissed from court because of non-appearance.”
Baleiwera states that improving staffing and training will directly improve enforcement success and ensure better compliance with tobacco regulations.
Assistant Minister for Health Penioni Ravunawa says more awareness is needed to prevent courts from being overwhelmed with cases.
“It is both ways, either we do more on advocacy, telling our people what is right and what is wrong about smoking and its effect or we recruit more officers to monitor and to do the surveillance. In the prosecution era, of course, the court will be inundated with more and more cases if we don’t do enough awareness in our community.”
The Health Ministry stresses that a sustained focus on training and recruitment is essential to uphold tobacco control measures and protect public health.
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