Tonga's Ministry of Health took charge of an illegal tobacco problem on Friday when Health Inspectors visited retailers and wholesalers and began seizing cigarettes and tobacco that had no proper "Health Warning" labels.

Exercising new powers of "search and destroy" legislated in a review of the Tobacco Control Act last year, the Ministry of Health organised teams of three people, including health inspectors and town officers, who were assigned to go out randomly to a few retail shops and wholesalers in the Nuku'alofa areas of Kolofo...’ou, Pahu and Ma...’ufanga.

Dr Viliami Puloka, the Senior Medical Officer at Vaiola Hospital, confirmed at the end of the inspection that the three teams seized over 10 cigarette sleeves in various brands and over 80 packets of Port Royal Tobacco.

In a team led by Dr Daniel Nicholson, the World Health Organisation's Country Liaison Officer in Tonga, they inspected one Chinese shop in Pahu and ceased 35 packets of Port Royal tobacco that had no Health Warning label. At the Mosimani Helu shop in Kolofo...’ou they confiscated 31cigarette packets of Kuonga, Marlboro, Winfield and Benson for the same reason, and at TCF wholesaler the team seized 81 packets of Port Royal Tobacco that had no Health Warning labels.

At these three shops, the owners and shop-keepers willingly complied with the inspectors without any physical deterrence.

First action

This was the first fearless action taken by the Ministry of Health to enforce the Tobacco Control Act 2000 that was reviewed last year to include a provision emphasizing the need for a proper Health Warning label on all tobacco and cigarettes sold locally in the Kingdom.

In a briefing of the teams before they were sent out, Dr Puloka said the main objective of this exercise was to try and enforce the Tobacco Act and the International Treaty for the Framework Convention Alliance for Tobacco Control (FCTC) that Tonga has signed.

Tonga became the 62nd country to ratify the Tobacco Control alliance in April this year.

This is a way to not only try and control smokers but to also reduce the number of deaths and causable diseases that result from tobacco, he said.

Dr Puloka said that under the Tobacco Control Act 2000 cigarette packets should display warning labels that must cover a minimum of at least 30% of the principal display area both front and back, it must be clearly visible in terms of its letters and must also indicate where it was produced and the country it is intended to be sold in.

The law is strict on labeling because it wants to prevent people from smuggling illegal tobacco, but at the same time the law cannot stop someone from smoking, it can only control it.

" The law is here and it is time it is about time we try and enforce it ", he said

Before the review of the Tobacco Act last year only the police were authorized to enter a premise and seize such illegal products.

At present under the Tobacco Control Act Part IV, Sect 14(1) it authorizes health staff (medical officers, health inspectors, public health nurses) and town officers to enter a shop and on the spot seize products that are illegally being produced or sold.

Dr Puloka said that the illegal tobacco and cigarettes seized on Friday would be destroyed.