By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Staff Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

TOBACCO manufacturers in the Bahamas are not required to include health warning labels on products or advertising, according to Financial Services minister Ryan Pinder.

Although tobacco is not included in the initial round of regulations to be introduced by the proposed Bahamas Standards Bureau (BSB), Mr Pinder said that the matter will likely be addressed in a timely manner given the level of public concern over the issue.

He added that the BSB is on track to become fully operational by the end of the calendar year.

Mr Pinder said: “There are no standards in the Bahamas, that is one element that has come to our attention and consumers have expressed concerns. There’s more than one manufacturer of cigarettes in the Bahamas, and products are labelled as such because they’re required by the standards and the safety requirements of America. 

He said: “Our first six initial standards do not include tobacco, but I would find it likely that since we have domestic production here now, and the health concerns that are evident, that there is a request to have that incorporated into proper international standards where (manufacturers) would have to put the same type of labelling and same compliance with international best practices with tobacco manufacturing. This would be pursued by the Standards Bureau.”

Mr Pinder explained that although Bahamian regulations will seek compliance with international standards, this did not mean that criteria will match US regulations, which prohibits advertising of cigarettes on radio and television. In the United States, manufacturers, packagers, and importers of cigarettes are required to place statutorily-prescribed health-related warnings on cigarette packages and in advertisements.

He said: “Remember we are not US, we’re international. We understand the US standards, and we’re part of the ISO which is the International Standards Organisation. So that may not mean that (media advertising restrictions) for the Bahamas. We would take a look at all the standards that are applicable worldwide and make a determination after consultation with industry over what is the best approach.

“Fundamentally this is for the preservation of the consumer, so that the consumer is protected and made aware of risks and that is what standards are about. We will go in a systematic process, with respect to those type of decisions on advertising they haven’t been made.”

The Bahamas Bureau of Standards hosted its first National Standardisation Forum and Formation of Technical Committees Workshop in February. At that time, Mr Pinder said the work of the bureau was critical to the Bahamas’ national development.

In an interview with The Tribune last week, Mr Pinder added: “We’re working well, we’ve had a couple sessions of our technical groupings to develop and agree on the standards. We do everything within consultation with industry, so we don’t impose anything on the industry that they’re not prepared for. We’ve created technical working groups with industry and technicians within the government to go through the standards, and we had the first round of meetings and it’s going very well.

“I hope the first six standards to be in place and the Standards Bureau to be functioning on a day-to-day basis with autonomy by this calendar year.”