Oyo State House of Assembly on Thursday passed a
bill placing a ban on smoking in public places in the
state.

The “Bill to Regulate Smoking in Public Places and for Connected Purposes’’ also provides three to six
months imprisonment or fine of between N15, 000
and N50, 000 for violators.

The bill was sponsored by Mr Segun Ajanaku and Mr
Segun Olaleye, representing Ibadan South-West II
and Ibadan North II constituencies, respectively.

The assembly said that the bill was necessary for
regulating smoking in designated places, include
shopping centres, restaurants, public toilets and
cinemas.

Other areas covered by the proposed law are
hospitals, creches, schools and public transportation vehicles within the state.

Specifically, the bill stipulates fine of N15, 000 or
three month imprisonment or both for first time
offenders while any person guilty of repeated act
would be liable to a N50, 000 fine or six months
imprisonment or both.

It also stipulates that any person found guilty of
smoking in the presence of a child in a manner that
exposes smoke to be injurious to the child, would be
liable to a month imprisonment with an option of
N15, 000 or both.

It states that refusal to place the sign or symbol by a
corporate body, director, manager, company secretary or any person concerned in the management of the corporate body will be liable to N250, 000 fine upon conviction.

According to the provisions of the bill, any person
found guilty of not putting up a ‘No-Smoking’ sign
would be liable to six months imprisonment or
N100,000 or other non-custodial punishment that the court may deem fit.